Makkal Needhi Maiam places a request to the TN government to establish a Government General Hospital for 1,50,000 tribals living the Thalavadi taluk of Erode District.
Most of the families living in Thalavadi depend on farming or daily wage jobs for their survival. They depend on an Community Health Centre and 4 Primary health care centres for their medical needs.
Even the Community health centre is ill equipped to meet the emergency medical needs arising out of situations like a road accident, wild animal attack or even child birth. Of course there is a medical professional available at all times, but that presence fulfills only first aid treatments.
The situation is such that after the first aid, they have to travel to the district capital erode further 100 kms or the neighbouring district Coimbatore or to Karnataka for further specialised care.
All the vehicles, including the ambulances have to take a single route of the narrow Thimbam mountain path. In case of a road block, the narrow path poses a tough challenge and there is no way an ambulance can manoeuvre through the narrow path. Instances of women in labour delivering their babies in the ambulance and people losing their lives inside the ambulance are common occurrences.
A family planning camp was held in Thalavadi last February. During the procedure, a woman named Anupallavi suffered serious consequences due to wrongly administrated procedure. She was rushed to Coimbatore, where she was admitted for over a month to fully recover from the effects of wrong treatment. Though her life was saved, her heart has taken a severe blow and she is currently on medicines which need to be taken as long as she lives, to ensure efficient functioning of her heart. The cost of her medicines amounts to Rs. 500 per day, and as a daily wager, she cannot afford the medicines. So she submitted a petition to the District Collector seeking help, and she is still waiting to hear from them.
Honourable Minister Mr. Muthusamy inaugurated TN government’s Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, last September, in Thalavadi. The Minister spoke at length about the difficulties the people of Thalavadi, Nambiyur, Kodumudi and Modakurichi Taluks face and empathised with their situation of travelling to Sathyamangalam or Karnataka for specialised medical care. The Minister further added that out of the 5 doctors appointed at the Primary Health Care Centre in Thalavadi, if 2 of them are specialists, most of their medical needs would be met. The Minister also spoke about establishing a Government General Hospital there to put an end to the woes of the tribals of Thalavadi. Since then, nothing has moved towards that direction.
Once the General Hospital is established there, major surgeries, child birth, treatment for wild animal attack and specialised medical care can be made available to the people of Thalavadi. This assurance from the Minister still stands as an expectation in the hearts of the people. So, Makkal Needhi Maiam places on record, the immediate need to fulfill people’s expectations and saving people’s lives.
