ARUPPUKOTTAI
Villagers boycotted the special medical camp organised by the district administration at A. Mukkulam primary health centre (PHC) on Wednesday as the medical team did not have an x-ray machine.
A team of specialist doctors from Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, could not screen anyone of the about 50 people who had been waiting outside the PHC for more than an hour.
The medical camp was ordered by the Madras High Court on a writ petition filed for permanent closure of Ramki Energy and Environment, a biomedical incinerator, at A. Mukkulam, alleging that air and water pollution it caused was leading to renal problems among the people of several villages.
Joint Director of Health Services (Virudhunagar) R. Manoharan tried to convince the villagers that those who needed an x-ray test could be taken in batches to Kariyapatti Government Hospital. However, a group of youths objected to this.
“We had informed Narikudi Block Development Officer of the minimum requirements to screen the people who were facing renal and respiratory problems as advised by the external observer for the camp, Dr. A. Rengarajan, Emeritus Professor of Medicine from Madurai,” said P. Muthumanickam (37), a villager.
The villagers also complained that no awareness campaign on the medical camp was conducted in some villages in Kariyapatti taluk.
“Not a single person from A. Thottiyankulam, Mudukkankulam, Nedungulam and T. Veppankulam has come. Despite the High Court order, the officials have not informed those villagers nor made any transport facility for them,” C. Balamurugan, the petitioner in the case, said.
The youths said only because of this indifferent attitude of the officials that the villagers had boycotted a medical camp organised earlier.
Dr. Manoharan said x-ray tests were planned at Kariyapatti only because of the radiation hazard it could pose in an unsafe condition at A. Mukkulam PHC. “We had planned all higher diagnosis either in Madurai or in Virudhunagar,” he said.
Tiruchuli Tahsildar Chinnadurai could not convince the people. By the time a mobile x-ray machine was brought from Virudhunagar, the people had left the PHC. After they left, Dr. Rengarajan also left for Madurai past noon.
Later, Revenue Divisional Officer (Aruppukottai) M. Selvi, who came to the PHC, said the officials had decided to conduct the camp at Kariyapatti GH on October 7.
Mr. Balamurugan said following increased complaints of renal failure cases in A. Thottiyankulam, the district administration had sealed the incinerator in 2013. It was closed by the authorities fearing deterioration of law and order situation in May this year.
