Latest news with #Kumaravel
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
DMK, CPM councillors spar over MP's ‘garbage city' remark
Madurai: A brief but tense exchange marked the Madurai corporation council meeting on Tuesday after DMK councillors objected to Madurai MP Su Venkatesan's recent remark describing the city as a "garbage city" following its poor ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 survey. The comment drew sharp criticism from DMK members and sparked a verbal spat with CPM councillors, who defended the MP. Raising the issue, DMK councillor M Jeyaraman (Ward 58) said the MP's comment undermined the efforts of corporation staff and elected representatives. "He does not visit the field to understand ground realities. He won from Madurai with DMK's support, and now he speaks against us," he said. CPM councillor Kumaravel countered that the MP was actively involved in civic issues and well-informed on ward-level matters. "Instead of blaming him, we should work together ahead of the assembly elections," he said. When DMK councillor P Kajendra Kumar (Ward 21) asked Kumaravel to lower his voice, the exchange briefly escalated before being brought under control by mayor Indrani Ponvasanth. Addressing the house, the mayor said the Swachh Survekshan report was flawed and that the corporation had reapplied with revised data. "We were disappointed by the MP's remark, especially after our efforts during events like the Chithirai festival and Jallikattu, where cleanliness was widely appreciated," she said. She also alleged that the central government's ranking process was biased. "Madurai was unfairly placed at Rank 40, just below Chennai, despite clear improvements," she said, adding that the corporation would continue to work on improving sanitation and service delivery. MSID:: 122978014 413 |
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Decrepit government medical college building in need of a major surgery
The dilapidated state of the auditorium and other buildings at the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College in Tiruchi has raised safety concerns and brought to fore the need for carrying out regular repairs and maintenance on the 28-year-old campus. The college was established in 1997 with an initial student strength of 100 that was increased to 150 from 2013. On most days, the shaded entrance to the college auditorium serves more as a car parking spot. With damaged signage and exposed sections of rebar on the roofing and lintels, the outer facade presents a picture of neglect. The seats and other furnishings inside appeared to be falling apart. The stage curtains were torn in several places and were secured with old furniture. Missing false ceiling tiles and peeling wall paint added to the shabby appearance. Other buildings on the campus seem to be in need of upkeep. When contacted by The Hindu, college dean S. Kumaravel said: 'We are awaiting funds from various government agencies to carry out civic works. Except for minor repairs, no significant maintenance work has been commissioned in the past 10 to 15 years on the campus. We have submitted a proposal for funding lifts in the medical college, PET scan installation and sealing the gaps in the compound wall under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.' The college receives a daily water supply of five lakh litres and steps are on to increase it to eight lakh litres. 'The college needs additional hostels for students. Even if on a sharing basis, the rooms must be spacious enough,' he said. Some residents said alumni of the college, many of whom went on to serve in senior government positions, could have taken steps to improve the maintenance of their alma mater.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
MGMGH caters to more patients under new MRI scan centre timings
The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan centre at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi has been able to attend to a greater number of patients after it became a 24-hour service in recent weeks. Earlier, MRI scans would be carried out only by prior appointment at the centre which would work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rush for scans would often delay the process, including the report collection. Patients also complained about having to wait for more than 10 days to get a scanning appointment. It is estimated that MRI scans have increased from 25 to 40 daily as a result of the new timings. 'We have been attending to an extra 15 cases per day, as the waiting time has been reduced. The Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation has sanctioned extra technicians for the centre. This has also helped to speed up the turnaround time for reports,' S. Kumaravel, dean, K.A.P.V. Government Medical College, attached to MGMGH, told The Hindu on Wednesday. 'We were alerted to the issue of delayed appointments, and decided to increase the hours to help patients access treatment faster. The new timings were instituted in the past few weeks,' said Dr. Kumaravel. In the new system, in-patients can undergo MRI scans upon admission for a better treatment plan, he added. The GH receives approximately 5,000 out-patients, and 1,500 in-patients on a daily basis. MRI scans cost ₹2,500 at the hospital. They are free of charge for patients covered by the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The scan facility was inaugurated at MGMGH in 2018, and is equipped to carry out cardiac MRI, neuro perfusion, diffused tensor imaging, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) flow study, cartilage mapping, magnetic resonance mammograms, whole body MRI scanning in a single shot to pick up secondaries in the bone like PET (positron emission tomography) scan, and all angiograms.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Triple vessel bypass surgery done at MGMGH
Trichy: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Govt Hospital in Trichy said on Wednesday it had successfully carried out a complex triple vessel bypass surgery on a 50-year-old man. Dean Dr M Kumaravel said at a press conference that this was the first time they operated on a patient with three blocked coronary arteries. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hospital authorities also confirmed the resumption of cardiac surgeries, which had been suspended since 2022 due to lack of in-house cardiothoracic surgeons. The recent coronary artery bypass surgery, performed last Thursday, was carried out by a private cardiothoracic surgeon hired under NHM (National Health Mission) guidelines. "We last did a double vessel bypass in 2022," the dean added. He said the patient is stable and was able to walk within three days of the procedure. Authorities said the hospital has been performing more angiograms in recent years, and has upgraded several facilities, including echocardiogram unit. Responding to questions, Dr Kumaravel said the upcoming oncology block will be funded through PMJKV funds. A decision is pending on whether it will be located within the existing campus or at a new site. The installation of a PET scan centre is expected to begin by the last week of July. It was also announced that the two non-functional lifts in the super-specialty block will be repaired using funds from MP Durai Vaiko and corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions. Additionally, a new block, under construction at a cost of ₹110 crore and expected to accommodate 600 beds, is scheduled for completion by Nov. The MRI scan centre will now operate 24x7, reducing report turnaround time to three days, down from the seven to ten days earlier.
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Patient undergoes complex triple vessel disease bypass surgery at Tiruchi government hospital
Doctors at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi successfully performed a triple vessel bypass surgery on a 56-year-old patient from Kumbakonam this week. At a press meeting on Wednesday, cardio-thoracic surgeon Ashwini, who led the surgery, said the patient had been referred to the hospital with breathing difficulty caused by a previous cardiac arrest. 'The angiogram revealed that the patient was suffering from triple vessel disease, a severe form of coronary artery disease, where all three main coronary arteries of the heart are significantly blocked.' The bypass procedure created a link from the internal mammary vein to the saphenous veins in the lower leg that help return blood from the lower extremities to the heart in a four-hour long operation performed last week. The surgery was carried out as per the norms of the National Health Mission. 'The beating heart operation was carried out after assessing the patient's ability to withstand the surgery. He was extubated on the same day, and was rehabilitated successfully post-surgery as a result of the hospital's team of medical experts,' said Dr. Ashwini. S. Kumaravel, dean, K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, MGMGH, said the complex cardiac procedure was carried out at the hospital for the first time and would be offered to other patients, based on their physical fitness. Earlier, a surgery for double vessel disease had been carried out at MGMGH in 2022. COVID preparedness Dr. Kumaravel added that MGMGH had established a 10-bed special ward to treat patients who tested positive for COVID. 'At present, we do not have fresh cases reported in Tiruchi, though some patients with co-morbidities have tested positive while undergoing treatment for other ailments.' From June 1, the hospital had introduced a same day turnaround for obtaining in-patient results of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests. 'This was done based on the recommendation of the Consumers Council members of Tiruchi district. It will help us to serve the public better by increasing the number of MRI tests per day,' Dr. Kumaravel said. In super-specialisation, a neuro-uro department had been established at the hospital to treat conditions where the nervous system affected the urinary tract and bowel function. 'We are also trying to reduce the infant mortality rate in the district by promoting anomaly scans among pregnant women in the blocks of Marungapuri and Uppilyapuram. Mammograms are being offered to the women staff of the hospital,' said Dr. Kumaravel.
