New PHCs brace up health service

Setting vision:Collector T.K. Ponnusamy giving away the spectacle to a student at the inaguration of the primary health center at Elakurichi village on Thursday. Palai D. Amaramoorthy, MLA, is in the picture

ARIYALUR: Four new primary health centres (PHCs) started functioning in Ariyalur district from Thursday.

T. K. Ponnusamy, District Collector, inaugurated the new PHC in Elakurichi village at a function held today. Poyyathanallur, Vananthiraiyandipattinam and Maruthur are the other villages where PHCs started functioning today. Mr. Ponnusamy said the district at present accounted for six PHCs and 30 additional PHCs, including three upgraded PHCs. The government, on the plea of the district administration, has sanctioned four more PHCs to the district.

A sum of Rs.22 lakh was allocated for the construction of buildings for each of the eight new PHCs sanctioned to the district. The construction works of all these PHCs are in progress. The government also earmarked Rs.22 lakh for the construction of building for another PHC, which was not having its own premises.

Referring to the initiative taken by the government for medical facilities in rural areas, Mr. Ponnusamy said mobile medical units have been pressed into service to treat the villagers. They have treated over one lakh people.

Over 240 medical camps have been conducted under the varumon kappom scheme in the district so far and about 77,000 people were identified for having complications and referred for further treatment. A sum of Rs.8.19 crore was spent for treating 3,350 people under the Kalaignar Health Insurance Scheme in the district, he added.

The Collector distributed assistance under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme to five women and also spectacles to ten school students.

Later, the Collector inaugurated the veterinary branch clinic in Vadugapalayam village.

He gave away loans of Rs.20,000 each provided by Bank of India for the purchase of milch animals to 20 beneficiaries on the occasion.

Palai D. Amaramoorthy, MLA, presided over the function. Mohan, deputy director of health; S. R. M. Kumar, chairman, Tirumanoor panchayat union and others spoke.

Thanks to www.thehindu.com