The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : New headquarters hospital for tsunami-hit Nagapattinam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

New headquarters hospital for tsunami-hit Nagapattinam

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 23. A new headquarters hospital will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 10 crores at Nagapattinam, to replace the tsunami-damaged general hospital, Health Minister N. Thalavai Sundaram said today.

A sum of Rs. 3 crores would come from the Shanthi Mohan Trust for construction of a block to house the maternity and newborn care units and also a compound wall.

This block would be ready in eight months, he said.

Health sub-centres affected in the district would get additional rooms and telephone and gas connections. The Trust also agreed to provide Rs. 50 lakhs for strengthening the sub-centres.

The Reproductive and Child Health Project (RCH) would provide Rs. 3 crores to build a modern out-patient block in the headquarters hospital.

Damage survey

A survey was conducted by the Health department to estimate the damage to district hospitals, primary health centres and health sub-centres in the tsunami-hit areas and also the staff support required. Ten government hospitals, seven primary health centres and 40 health sub-centres required immediate support. The Government was focussing on strengthening the health institutions in the affected areas to meet the extra patient turnout.

Mr. Sundaram was speaking at a workshop on "Managing Health Emergencies — Experience and the Road Ahead after Tsunami," organised here by the RCH and the World Health Organisation (WHO). He commended the health department staff for their commitment and sincerity in carrying out relief operations and for handling the emergency well. The Minister thanked the WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other non-governmental organisations for their timely support to the Government in organising relief measures to prevent an outbreak of epidemic in the affected areas.

Health Secretary Sheela Rani Chunkath said the Government's response to the tsunami, from the highest level, was unequivocal. Decentralising control — both administrative and financial — was one of the reasons for the success of the health team during the crisis. The department was now trying to put the entire infrastructure back on its feet. Efforts were on to provide continuous psychological counselling to the affected.

Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu said mass removal and burial of bodies, providing treatment, first-aid and referrals for the injured were the initial concerns. Later, providing potable water and sanitation, disease surveillance, vector control, vaccination and mobilising medicines and supplies took precedence.

"Strengthen system"

The WHO representative to India, Salim Habayeb, said the opportunity post-tsunami must be utilised to strengthen the health system. He complimented the Central and State Governments on their excellent response and coordination in confronting the emergency.

Poonam Singh, Deputy Regional Director for South East Asia, said the WHO tried to mobilise teams in keeping with the requirements of the countries and synergise all partners in the health sector.

The UNICEF Officer-on-Special-Duty, Per Olov Laneertson, thanked the Government for involving the organisation in the relief work, especially in immunisation and water and sanitation. The immediate concerns involving children were sanitation, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu