Construction of a new building for the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Sembakkam, near Tambaram, got under way last week.
According to officials of Directorate of Public Health, the facility, being constructed at a cost of Rs.42 lakh, will serve more than 60,000 people from four localities — Gowriwakkam, Sembakkam, Rajakilpakkam and Kamarajapuram.
The construction would be completed in 90 days; following this, more facilities would be added to the PHC, officials said.
Foundation stone for the facility was laid by Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnaiyya on September 17 last. However, work started only in January this year.
At Pallavaram
In Haridaspuram, which comes under Pallavaram municipality, a new PHC is being established at a cost of Rs. 40 lakh.
Residents of this locality were so far dependent on the upgraded PHC at Medavakkam and Tambaram Taluk Hospital in Chromepet for emergency treatment.
The Medavakkam PHC, near Tambaram, was upgraded to a 30-bed hospital in 2008; this is the main PHC of the St. Thomas Mount block.
“PHCs are functioning at Pammal, Anakaputhur, Moovarasanpet and Puzhudhiwakkam. There would not be a problem in upgrading the new facility at Sembakkam into a full-fledged hospital,” senior officials at the Directorate of Public Health said.
Other PHCs have been allocated Rs. 10 lakh each for undertaking minor works to repair damage caused by rain and floods in December, they added.
