PHCs in Melur region referring pregnant women to private scan centres

Pregnant women, who are diagnosed at Thaniyamangalam Primary Health Care centre for their periodical ante-natal check-ups, complain that they are being referred to private scan centres at Melur instead of being referred to a government hospital. 

As PHCs in Vellalur, Thiruvathavur, Keelavazhavu and Therku theru, among others, and the facility at Thaniyamangalam come under the Melur Urban Primary Health Centre, the scan referrals from those PHCs should be made to Melur UPHC.  Despite the UPHC having a machine, due to dearth of trained technicians to handle the equipment the scans are referred to Melur Taluk Government Hospital.  

But the pregnant women who visit the PHC in Thaniyamangalam say they are being referred to a private scan centre in Melur town.  

M. Aarthi, 26, from Thaniyamangalam, says she was given a receipt by the hospital staff to visit the private scan centre for studying her 28-week foetus. She is carrying her third child and was referred to the private scan centre during her previous pregnancies too. 

“When I questioned the staff at the hospital about the rationale behind getting the scan done in a private facility when the same facility is available in a government hospital, they did not give a proper reply,” she added.  

As she did not want to argue with the hospital staff, she started visiting the private scan centre and paying at least ₹1,200 to ₹.1,300 for a scan, Ms. Aarthi said.  

She also has to hire an auto rickshaw to visit the scan centre in Melur, as it is more than 15 km away from her house. Hence, the total amount she spends on a single scan goes up to around ₹2,000.  

Ms. Aarthi also insists that she and other villagers did not receive monetary assistance from the State government under Dr. Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme. Despite possessing all requirements including a permanent address and bank account, she did not receive any money from the government for her two early pregnancies.

Reiterating a similar complaint, another woman from Vachampatti village, who gets diagnosed at Keelavalavu PHC, says she too spends more than ₹2,000 for every scan she does at the private scan centre.  

As the pregnant women cannot bear the strain by travelling by public transport, they have to hire a private vehicle, says Veronica Mary, a social activist based in Madurai.  

Demanding that all scan centres at PHCs and UPHCs in Melur region be brought into use, she says the district health officer should form a committee to look into the matter and rectify the issues. Also, as complaints of pregnant women being referred to private scan centres has become regular, there is apprehension of a nexus between the doctors or hospital staff and the private scan centre.  

When the scan centre referrals should be monitored closely, steps should also be taken to ensure that all pregnant women receive the monetary assistance under the State government scheme, she adds.  

A block level health official said the practice of pregnant women being referred to private scan centres was against the rules. “At a recent meeting, we were strictly instructed by senior health officials to not refer to any private facilities. So, this matter will be immediately looked into, and appropriate action will be taken.”