A new urban primary health centre constructed at Sembakkam Municipality has remained a non-starter for over three months now.
Though the workers frequent the building for carrying out the remaining work, the facility has not been opened. Enquiries reveal that the construction of the building was planned much before the 2015 floods but was delayed due to various reasons, including want of labour and materials.
Sources with the Directorate of Public Health Department said ₹42 lakh had been allocated for this facility that would serve more than 60,000 people of four villages — Gowriwakkam, Sembakkam, Rajakilpakkam and Kamarajapuram. “The construction has reached the final stages now. Water supply and furnishing works are being carried out,” said an official.
Construction of urban primary health centre buildings in Nemilichery, Chromepet and Sembakkam is being speeded up now after undergoing undue delay due to various reasons, according to officials of the Municipal Administration Department.
A similar facility is being augmented in Haridaspuram under Pallavaram Municipality and the contractors of these works have been asked to complete the job quickly to make it available before June 2017, officials said. While the new facility in Nemilichery is being constructed at a cost ₹42 lakh, the one at Haridaspuram cost around ₹48 lakh.
Officials said that based on key characteristics of the existing urban health delivery system, the National Urban Health Mission proposes a broad framework for strengthening health services delivery through primary public health systems.
The quality of the services provided will be constantly monitored for improvement, an official said. Pallavaram municipal officials said that the Nemilichery PHC would become operational in one month, while the Haridaspuram facility would take a little more time, as orders have been placed for installation of lift facilities.
