Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Welfare centres ill-equipped to handle epidemic

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the threat of viral fever and chikungunya epidemics looms large over the city, the Child Welfare Centres set up by the Corporation to provide primary medical care for the residents in backward areas, are struggling to keep themselves equipped for their role.

Most of the CWCs in the city had stopped stocking medicines and the Junior Public Health nurses attached to the centres were deployed for other duties. Secretariat ward councillor Biju Harikumar said the CWC at the Rajaji Nagar colony had stopped functioning.

"The Corporation has not made any move to supply medicines to the CWC, even though the viral fever epidemic is spreading throughout the colony. The situation is the same in the 24 CWCs throughout the city over the last two years. The weekly clinics organised by the Community Medicine department have also been wound up at all the CWCs except those at Chackai and Pettah," she said.

Ms. Harikumar said she had moved the Corporation and the Health Department for urgent steps to tackle the viral fever outbreak. She highlights the need for a medical camp in the backward areas, including Rajaji Nagar, to provide medical assistance to the needy.

Corporation's Health Standing Committee chairman G.R. Anil said efforts were on to revive the network of CWCs and put them back on the rails. He admitted that the functioning of the centre at the Rajai Nagar had been affected. Mr. Anil said a detailed revival project for the CWCs was being formulated. "We hope to get the project off the ground soon," he said.

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