Madurai PHCS in dire need of more funds, manpower

Health centres in rural areas of Madurai district face challenges such as lack of funds, inadequate facilities, and shortage of staff, impacting patient care.

A 60-year-old woman washing soiled bedspreads and pillow cases at a hospital with bare hands would be shocking a scene. But this is what happens at most of the health centres in rural areas of Madurai district. 

Though doctors at these centres are well aware of the health hazard of washing used bed linen of patients in such a manner, they are helpless owing to fund crunch. 

Madurai district has 88 health centres - 30 Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC), 13 Community Health Centres (CHC) and 45 Primary Health Centres (PHC). 

The Karungalakudi block CHC in Melur taluk, which is one of the oldest health centres in the district, serves about one lakh people. But it is saddled with old building and equipment. It makes do with ₹5,000 it receives from the government for the overheads.  “With only three beds in the maternity ward, no further improvements could be carried out in terms of equipment and other facilities,” says Block Medical Officer P. Shanmuga Perumal. 

The CHC, with about 38 buildings, has only three workers and two Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) midwives. “As the workers are assigned various works such as registering outpatients, distributing medicines, assisting doctors, the works get delayed, causing inconvenience to patients,” he says.  

They want an improvised labour ward and operation theatre to perform Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LCCS).  

Dr. Perumal says, “Out of the 1,456 deliveries performed in a nine-month period till September of last year, 992 were normal and 464 LSCS - that is 1 LSCS for every three normal deliveries.”