Upgrade of Primary Health Centre at Inamkulathur has come as a boost for the pregnant women to avail maternal and child health programme at their doorstep.
It was among the two recently upgraded Primary Health Centres in the district. The PHC at Pettavaithalai was the other upgraded PHC.
Shortly after the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced the upgrade plan in 2011, a 30-bed facility was set up at Inamkulathur at a cost of Rs. 72 lakh.
Similarly, facilities such as blood storage, operation theatre, X-Ray, scan, Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre and dental care were set up. Since then, health care services have been provided round the clock with five doctors on duty a day.
The PHC at Inamkulathur has turned out to be an important centre for providing maternal and child care to the population of 26,370 belonging to various nearby villages. On an average, 12 deliveries are handled every month. Pregnant women turn in large numbers for regular check up and scan daily. Besides, the PHC conducts anti-natal mother clinic on Tuesdays.
When Collector K.S. Palanisamy visited the PHC to check the functioning of it on Wednesday, more than 20 pregnant women were waiting for health check up and scan.
“We feel happy to get maternal and child care at our door step. If it is not available here, we will have to spend a lot of time and energy to visit hospitals and scan centres at faraway places in Tiruchi,” said a woman, who came for second trimester scanning.
Mr. Palanisamy said all facilities for maternal and child care, including post-natal ward and baby warmer, had been provided at the upgraded PHCs.
Except for highly complicated cases, deliveries could be done at the PHC itself. The idea was to ensure normal deliveries.
The objective had been achieved.
I. Raveendran, Deputy Director, Health Services, said that similar facilities were available in 14 upgraded PHCs, including at Sirugambur, Valanadu, Puthanatham, Vaiyampatti, and Uppilliyapuram.
The 30-bed facility caters to a population of 26,370
It handles 12 deliveries a month on an average
