S. Uma, Additional Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, inspecting the maternity and child health in Thoothukudi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: N. RAJESH
Additional Health Secretary S. Uma, who visited the Government Super Speciality Hospital for Maternity and Child Health coming up at Third Mile here, has exhorted the Public Works Department to expedite the ongoing works by installing all medical equipment so as to get it ready for an early inauguration.
The super speciality block of Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital (TKMCH), which is coming up on an outlay of ₹136.35 crore, has been rechristened as Government Super Specialty Hospital for Maternity and Child Health considering the huge number obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric cases coming to TKMCH everyday.
The TKMCH, under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram’, got sanctioned a super speciality block with 687 beds spread over seven floors at the cost of ₹136.35 crore. Of this ₹16 crore has been apportioned for procuring hi-tech diagnostic and surgical equipment while the civil work of this block would be completed on an outlay of ₹118.35 crore. The total amount of ₹136.35 crore has been shared by the Union Government and the State Government on 60:40 ratio.
Since the TKMCH receives more number of obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric cases throughout the year after patients from Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Kanniyakumari districts requiring advanced medical intervention go to the Tirunelveli Medical College’s Super Specialty Hospital, the super speciality block of TKMCH has been rechristened by the Tamil Nadu Government as Government Super Specialty Hospital for Maternity and Child Health.
As the government is planning to inaugurate this facility before the Election Commission’s notification for the Assembly elections in March, Dr. Uma, who has served in Thoothukudi district as Deputy Director of Health Services for several years, inspected every floor of the seven-storey building on Tuesday to personally assess the final touches to be given to the hospital to make it ready for an early inauguration.
When she happened to see that power supply to the hospital is yet to be given even though deposit had already been paid, a furious Dr. Uma asked the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) officials to give power supply within a week so that the mandatory trial run of the Effluent Treatment Plant (EPT) and the Sewage Treatment Plant (SPT) of the hospital could be completed.
“The hospital cannot wait any more for power connection… The hospital equipment, water pumping systems, ETP and STP plants, air-conditioning systems etc. can be tested only if the power connection is given. So, Tangedco should give power to the hospital within a week,” Dr. Uma instructed.
She was also upset on seeing the delay in starting the construction of the basement for liquid oxygen plant. Even though the Public Works Department officials tried to pacify her with the assurance that they would provide the basement soon at the spot identified for the purpose, she could not be appeased. “The basement in stipulated specification should be ready within another 15 days,” the Additional Secretary ordered, adding that installation of solar water heating system should also be completed before February first week.
As she visited every floor of the hospital, Dr. Uma interacted with the heads of obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia, microbiology, pathology, biochemistry departments to assess the things to be completed in their respective departments coming up in each floor. She instructed the PWD officials to incorporate the minor modifications as being suggested by the heads of these departments in the hospital for the smooth functioning and the patients’ comfort.
“We are not ready to open a half-baked facility as it should serve the patients effectively. The officials concerned have been instructed to complete all pending works before the stipulated deadline of February 15 and they have promised to comply with this ultimatum. Additional manpower will be ensured after discussing the issue with the departments concerned,” Dr. Uma told The Hindu.
Dean, TKMCH, G. Sivakumar, Superintendent R. Padmanabhan, Resident Medical Officer Silas Jayamani and others accompanied the Additional Secretary during the inspection.
Published – January 27, 2026 07:19 pm IST
