CMH will add one more maternity block
A crowd waiting at the maternity block at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said here on Saturday that efforts would be made to provide the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital with an additional maternity block.Participating in a World AIDS Day meeting in the city, the Minister referred to complaints that the existing maternity block was inadequate to handle the flow of patients and that patients had to sleep on the floor because of the lack of space in the existing block.The Minister visited the hospital before coming to the meeting. He enquired about the food provided to the patients and the sanitation in the hospital. He also met the striking medicos and asked them to withdraw the agitation. It was up to the Central Government to make any announcement on the duration of the MBBS course, he told them.Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy pointed out at the meeting that the hospital was nearing its centenary year. (The hospital was established in July 1909. Hospital sources said the centenary celebrations would begin around July 2008 and go on for a year).
Mr. Palanisamy called for the constitution of a centenary celebrations committee and wanted the Health Minister to pass this request on to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Mr. Palanisamy also wanted old buildings in the hospital to be replaced with new ones and the facilities upgraded.While the Health Minister agreed to take up the request for the centenary celebrations committee, he suggested that the entrepreneurs in Coimbatore region could contribute to the development of the hospital. “Mr. Palanisamy himself is an entrepreneur. And, there are many others whom you should ask to contribute for the development of the hospital in your area,” he said in response to Mr. Palanisamy’s demand. “You people can adopt the hospital,” he suggested.
Glad over the Minister’s promise on the additional block for the maternity ward, hospital sources said the sanctioned bed strength was 98.But, the total number of in-patients was 156. The hospital had managed to place 156 cots, using whatever space was available. Despite this, 60 patients were accommodated on the floor.The total sanctioned bed strength should be raised to 250 to meet the demand for another 10 years. But, mere bed strength increase would not do. Additional staff was also needed.Dean of the hospital Hemalatha Ganapathy said: “The Minister has asked us to send a proposal for the additional block and also details of the land available for it, near the existing block.”
