MADURAI
What was once called by the locals “kaatu aaspithiri” has now achieved a total transformation. The 115-acre campus of Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine housing units for Thoracic Medicine (TB), Infectious Diseases and Cholera Collection Centre at Austinpatti on the city outskirts, inaugurated by the then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, sports an altogether new look.
When The Hindu visited the campus, Resident Medical Office S. Gandhimathinathan attributed the change to team work and support of his superiors from Government Rajaji Hospital, well-wishers and philanthropists.
A dedicated team of doctors and paramedical staff, though in small numbers, handles about 150 TB patients, who include dangerously ill persons and multi-drug resistant cases.
Narrating the contributions made by many people, which have helped build a ‘new’ hospital, Dr. Gandhimathinathan said, “It all started with the visit of some 150 NSS volunteers from Arul Anandar College in 2012. On a single day, they removed the bushes and gave us a new hope.”
“There was no stopping us from then,” he said. Forest department gave 500 saplings to the hospital, which were planted all around. The campus has a 1,000-litre capacity RO plant to provide protected drinking water to patients and attendants.
High Court Judge M.V. Muralidaran, through an order, directed a person involved in a case to give ₹45,000 to the hospital. All the contributions had been meaningfully put to use, he noted.
A senior staff of the hospital said the campus was home for reptiles and other animals till five years ago. Today, the hospital has security guards, a hygienic kitchen, well-equipped diagnostic lab and even saloon functioning on the campus. Vegetables, which helped improve appetite of patients, are grown in the kitchen garden here. Television sets have been put up in all the 10 wards, and even FM radio is available. Patients and their relatives can spend time in the allotted space laid with paver blocks.
On Sunday (December 24), Justice Muralidaran is expected to dedicate a multi-purpose hall in the campus, named “Autograph”, built with contributions from the 1981 MMC batchmates. Experts will teach yoga and meditation to inpatients there.
Pulmonologist Jaiganesh said reduction in death rate in the hospital had encouraged doctors and paramedical staff. In the past, the hospital looked like a place ‘fit to abandon patients’, but it was not the case anymore.
“I can proudly say that the change in the ambience has not only given us confidence of rehabilitating even the critical patients, but also motivated the team members a lot,” Dr. Gandhimathinathan said.
