Three hospital buildings and four ‘Amma unavagams’ (canteens) have been gathering dust for more than five months in the district as they could not be inaugurated.
The canteens were built at Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Kilakarai and Paramakudi after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced in June that more ‘Amma Unavagams’ would be opened throughout the State. But they could not be inaugurated due to the conviction of Ms. Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case.
“It is more than five months since the canteens had been made ready for inauguration and we have not received any communication from the government,” an official in one of the municipalities said.
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The canteens, each built at a cost of Rs.25 lakh, could be opened later as the targeted beneficiaries had the alternative roadside eateries, but if the hospitals remained shut, the rural people would suffer, Mr. A. Ravichandra Ramavanni, advocate and former district panchayat chairman said.
It was pathetic that a 30-bed hospital with an operation theatre facility built at a cost of Rs. 95 lakh at Bogalur near Sathirakudi could not be put to proper use, he said.
Sources in the Health Department said that the Primary Health Centre (PHC) built at Somandur also could not be inaugurated for about five months. The new PHC was built as the existing one became too old, but it continued to function in the same old building.
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Similarly, the Maternity and Child Health Centre at RS Mangalam could not be opened for nearly eight months.
The government has orally instructed officials not to open new buildings and “this is the state of affairs in the whole state,” an official said.
As there was no sign of opening ceremony, the authorities have allowed nurses to use couple of nursing quarters, the sources added.