In the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja, healthcare personnel attached to the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine are pooling in manpower and resources to restore power supply in primary health centres (PHC) and health sub-centres in the affected districts. Doctors and nurses have hired more than 100 electricians to help restore electricity in the health facilities in these districts.
Officials of the DPH said that power supply was completely disrupted in 166 PHCs and 590 health sub-centres in the six affected districts.
“Staff and doctors in health unit divisions are mobilising electrical wires and bulbs, and have engaged electricians in the affected areas. More than 100 electricians and assistants have been engaged so far. When workers of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) go to villages to restore electricity, they work at the health facilities to restore the disrupted connections,” said. K. Kolandaswamy, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. The electricians are taking up internal works, including re-wiring at the PHCs and health sub-centres. “By synchronising the work, power supply will be restored simultaneously at the health facilities and villages. A PHC or and health sub-centre will be ready to receive power when the electricity staff restore supply on a village road,” he added.
Officials said they were mobilising electrical wires and materials from other districts to the affected localities. For instance, the Coimbatore Corporation has despatched electrical goods worth ₹2.24 lakh to cyclone-affected districts on Thursday night. According to sources, the civic body, following instructions from the DPH, sent wires, bulb holders, bulbs, switches, testers, gloves and wire cutters required to rewire PHCs and hospitals.
The Directorate’s request was that while the Tangedco was restoring power supply, the health establishments were unable to tap power because their internal wiring was damaged. The sources also said the Coimbatore Corporation took the help of the Coimbatore District Electrical Traders’ Association, which had sponsored the goods.
“To manage the situation immediately, we have got 117 generators for the health facilities,” an officer of DPH said.