Govt. Taluk Hospital in Vaniyambadi inundated after heavy downpour

Heavy rain floods Government Taluk Hospital in Vaniyambadi, causing chaos for patients and authorities, sparking urgent calls for improvements.

A day-long heavy rain inundated the Government Taluk Hospital in Vaniyambadi town on Saturday, causing trouble to patients and hospital authorities, who had to wade through knee-deep stagnant rainwater.

Located between the bus terminus and railway crossing, the hospital, inaugurated in 1957, has 144 beds for in-patients. Hospital authorities said that on an average, they get between 500 and 700 outpatients every day.

“Over the years, the hospital premises sank lower than the road level due to repeated re-laying of the stretch without milling. Also, drains around the hospital have been clogged for many years,” B. Vimala, a resident, said.

Residents said that the hospital is a lifeline for key towns such as Vaniyambadi, Natrampalli, Alangayam, Jolarpet and Ambur. It functions round the clock, and has most of the advanced facilities such as CT scanner, X-ray, operation theatres, and adequate stock of medicines.

Apart from major towns, more than 30 villages are also dependent on the hospital for timely medical care. However, it gets easily flooded even if it merely drizzles.

Municipal officials said the hospital was located in a low-lying area near Kannamapudur lake, which has encroachments that in turn resulted in inundation. Moreover, the stormwater drains, which are small, were built many years ago. They cannot handle a large volume of floodwater discharged from the town and the lake.

“Municipal staff are discharging stagnant water from the hospital premises. Drains around the facility are also being unclogged. A proposal for a new STP [Sewage Treatment Plant] has been sent to the government for its nod to prevent such inundation,” S. Musthaba, Commissioner, Vaniyambadi municipality, told The Hindu.