The absence of a well-equipped hospital in Kannagi Nagar led to the death of 22-year-old Gayathri — who was to be married in a week’s time — one of the passengers of the share auto that collided head-on with an MTC bus near the tsunami settlements in the same locality on May 21, 2012.
Even as Gayathri was rushed to a private hospital in Perumbakkam, the management refused to provide free treatment and referred her to the government hospital in Parry’s. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead by the time she reached the hospital.
Several residents of Kannagi nagar have met a similar fate on account of poor healthcare facilities, complain the locals.
“Gayathri died a week before her wedding was scheduled to take place. Had there been a hospital in the vicinity, she would have been saved,” said Lourdhu Raj, a resident of Kannagi Nagar.
The Tamil Nadu slum clearance board constructed over 15,000 tenements in Kannagi Nagar about 10 years ago. But concerns such as bad roads, poor healthcare facilities and overflowing sewage remain unaddressed.
“The medical centre at Thoraipakkam is open only for a few hours every day. There is no government hospital close by.
Hence, senior citizens, pregnant women and children who require urgent medical assistance are forced to travel all the way to Royapettah,” lamented Ms Uma, another resident.
“None of the freebies announced by the state government have reached us so far.
We are being treated like secondary citizens. Government officials do not visit our area at all,” she added. Mr S.K. Shiva of Tamil Nadu untouchability eradication front questioned the rationale behind relocating poor people in faraway places without proper infrastructure.
“The youth of the locality are going astray owing to lack of recreation facilities such as public parks, playgrounds and fitness centres.
There is only one government school, which is inadequate for the nearly 3,000 children. We will soon hold a protest seeking fulfilment of the demands of the people of Kannagi nagar,” he added.
When contacted, a senior corporation official said, “Soon Kannagi Nagar will get an urban primary health centre. On health front, our major area of focus is Kannagi Nagar.”
“Once the area is formally taken over by the city corporation from the Tamil Nadu slum clearance board, the locality will soon get facilities similar to other zones,” he added.