Patients suffer as bus service to government hospital is discontinued from Azhvar Thoppu

Residents in Wards 22, 28, 29, and 57, spanning across zones IV and V of the city, face difficulties because of a discontinued direct bus link to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), limiting access to essential medical services.

Residents in Wards 22, 28, 29, and 57, spanning across zones IV and V of the city, face difficulties because of a discontinued direct bus link to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), limiting access to essential medical services.

A bus, 13B, was inaugurated in 2009 to cater to the pregnant women, elderly people, and schoolchildren. The bus travels through Ramacharanagar, Edaimalaipatti Pudur, Thillai Nagar, Azhvar Thoppu, Thennur, and MGMGH. It was intended to provide easy access to the hospital, but the bus service gradually stopped, complained residents.

Although there is an Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) at Kuzhimikarai, the residents of Azhvar Thoppu said access to government hospital had become increasingly difficult in the absence of the bus service. As the supply of medicines for blood pressure complications and diabetes is limited at the UPHC in Kuzhimikarai, many patients have to get them from the hospital.

“Bus travel was free for elderly people and the bus ticket for others was nominally priced around ₹10. This made it easy to visit the hospital. Earlier, the bus used to stop at Azhvar Thoppu at 6 a.m., and since the bus used to make at least five trips a day through the area, it was easy for us to reach the hospital. But now, I spend at least ₹100 or walk to the MGMGH, which worsens the pain in my leg,” said R. Gurushith Banu, a resident.

One of the reasons for the discontinuation of the bus was the narrow width of the road in Alwarthoppu, residents pointed out. They suggested that the authorities can run minibuses to provide easy access to MGMGH as well as prevent traffic hold-ups on narrow roads.

When contacted, a senior official from Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation assured that the issue would be addressed at the earliest.