Urban Primary Health Centre stuck in cramped, temporary facility

Nagapattinam UPHC faces challenges in cramped temporary facility, awaiting construction of new building for improved healthcare services.

The Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Nagapattinam has been operating from a cramped health and wellness centre on Pazha Street in Ward 30 for over a year, causing significant challenges for both staff and patients.

The UPHC, previously located on Marundhu Kothalam Road, was shifted to the temporary facility due to severe structural damage at the original site. Despite ₹1.2 crore being sanctioned nearly a year ago through the National Health Mission for a new building, construction has yet to begin, pointed out sources from the Health Department.

The small space in the wellness centre has forced the 10 employees, including doctors, nurses and technical staff, to work in close quarters, affecting the quality of service.

N.P. Bhaskaran, president of the Nagapattinam District Development Committee, added, “Many elderly residents rely on this UPHC. We have submitted petitions highlighting the urgent need for a functional facility.”

K. Venkatesan, town secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said, “The access to the new location is challenging due to the Akkaraipettai bridge construction on one side and the market on the other. For elderly and pregnant women, reaching the centre is difficult. We raised this issue with the municipality, but no significant steps have been taken to construct a new building.”

When contacted, a senior municipal official stated that work on the new building would begin soon. “Since the sanctioned amount is above ₹1 crore, we are awaiting final approval from the State government, which we expect to receive shortly,” the official said.