Villagers around Madurai's Melur seek ambulance service
MADURAI: Residents of remote villages near Melur, including Thiruvathavur, Veppadappu and Amoor, demanded that an 108 ambulance be assigned permanently to the primary health centre (PHC) in Thiruvathavur, vehicles from other areas don't reach the locality quickly.
The people said they have to depend on ambulances from Melur GH or Thirupuvanam in Sivaganga district which take over 40 minutes to reach the location.
For the people living in hamlets around Thiruvathavur and a few nearby panchayats, the PHC is the first point of contact for health care, as the nearest government hospitals are located either in Melur or Madurai city.
Former panchayat president of Thiruvathavur, M Elavarasu, said the 2,100-odd families in the panchayat -- residing in Vella Muthampatti, Thiruvadavur Kottai and Manikampatti -- rely on the PHC. 'In case of emergencies, we are referred to the Government Hospital in Melur or Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai city, which are over eight and 27 kilometres away, respectively. 108 ambulances take more than 45 minutes to reach the PHC. Local autorickshaw drivers charge Rs 200-Rs 250 for a trip to Melur GH,' he said.
Nearly 800 families from Poonjuthi panchayat, also receiving primary healthcare services from the Thiruvathavur PHC, are also allegedly subjected to the same fate. P Ramanathan, former president of the panchayat, said, 'A few days ago, an individual riding pillion on a two-wheeler sustained severe injuries in a road accident. However, it took 35 minutes for the ambulance to reach. By the time the patient was taken to the GH in Melur, the doctors declared the individual dead on arrival.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
No doctors, second trauma ward in Melur GH unused
MADURAI: A critical care ward has been built at a cost Rs 9.21 crore in the Melur GH under the Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative (TAEI) in April this year. But it has not been brought to use as doctors and support staff have not been appointed yet. A Saminathan, a resident of Melur said,"This two-storey facility plays an importamt role in treating road accident and other emergency cases. TAEI is aimed at ensuring definitive treatment for patients within the golden hour (the first hour after an injury). There is already a TAEI building in Melur GH, the second one was proposed to handle extra patients during emergencies. But doctors have not been appointed in the facility so far." He added,"Not just road accident cases, even assault cases are treated in TAEI. But lack of doctors negates the purpose of the facility." According to data shared by police, 453 road accident cases were admitted in TAEI in Melur Government Hospital since January 2025. These include 71 in January, 98 in February, 102 in March), 116 in April, and 120 in May. Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from Melur GH said,"There are already 15 doctors in existing facilities such as TAEI, Maternal care and supportive staff. But we don't want to burden them with extra work. The second TAEI facility is ready for irnauguration, but we are yet to get allocation for doctors and supportive staff. We need six doctors – two neurologists, two ortho specialists, one cardiologist – for the new facility. Besides, there should be 20 support staff. We have informed the situation to Director of Medical Education (DME) and other higher officials in Chennai. They will take action soon."
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Two die, one critical after a gas leak at Pharma City
Anakapalli: In a tragic accident that took place at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacy, Parawada in Anakapalli, two died and one is said to be in critical condition following a gas leak at Sai Sreyas Pharmaceuticals Private Limited. At the time of incident three employees became unconscious after inhaling the gas. The deceased were identified as Parimi Chandrasekhar, safety manager from Telangana, and Saragadam Kumar, safety officer from Munagapaka. Meanwhile, another worker Baidu Baisal, a helper from Odisha, is undergoing treatment in the hospital. The bodies of the deceased were shifted to King George Hospital mortuary. Expressing shock over the incident, BJP state president Daggubati Purandeswari enquired about the health condition of the worker undergoing treatment. She called for a safety audit in industries so that recurrence of such accidents could be avoided. The BJP state president appealed to the state government to provide quality treatment to the victim. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha contacted district collector Vijaya Krishnan and enquired about the cause of the accident. The Home Minister assured that the government will extend support to the victims' families. Visiting the victim families, former minister Gudivada Amarnath expressed concern over recurring industrial accidents at the Pharma City. 'In a series of accidents held in the recent past, many lives were lost. The government should take steps to carry out safety audits at frequent intervals so that employees' lives will be saved at least in future,' he commented, adding that the management and government should take the responsibility of extending all possible support to the victims' families. Meanwhile, trade union leaders alleged that the management failed in following safety standards and demanded a compensation of Rs.1 crore for the families of the deceased.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Doctors stage protest at VIMS
Visakhapatnam: Doctors working as assistant professors at Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) staged a silent protest at the hospital from 9 am to 11 pm on Thursday demanding salary hike. The doctors said that they have been working for a salary of Rs 92,000 per month for more than three years after joining the service as assistant professors, while doctors working at Palasa Kidney Hospital in Andhra Pradesh on a contract basis are being paid Rs 1.6 lakh per month. They said that the PG students are getting more than their salary as stipend. The VIMS assistant professors demanded that their contract should be renewed with increased salaries.
