2 days ago
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.'
