As the Government Super Speciality Hospital for Maternity and Child Health, built at Third Mile on an outlay of ₹136 crore, is gathering dust, the patients, including newborn babies and the women requiring specialised medical treatments, have been left at the mercy of private hospitals here or being forced to travel to well-equipped government hospitals in other cities.

The Government Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital, under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram’, got sanctioned super speciality block with 687 beds spread over 7 floors at a 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.

Though it was originally planned as super multi-speciality block, it was later rechristened as Government Super Speciality Hospital for Maternity and Child Health, considering the huge number of obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric cases coming to Government Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital throughout the year, while other patients from Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Kanniyakumari districts requiring other medical care go to the Tirunelveli Medical College’s Super Speciality Hospital.

Now, the 650-bedded, 7-storey structure, built on 4.10 acres and covering 3.21 lakh square feet, is ready to receive patients. Even though the physical structure of this speciality block has been created, it is waiting indefinitely for the sanctioned strength of men and material, even after it was opened by then Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in March last.

Of the sanctioned strength of 371 persons, including doctors and nurses in the Government Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital, 123 are remaining vacant and 168 positions are vacant in the college against the sanctioned strength of 719 persons.

The hospital requires 7 pharmacists, 15 lab technicians, 5 operation theatre technicians, 4 anaesthesia technicians, 5 manifold technicians, 5 blood bank technicians, 10 female nurse assistants, 10 data entry operators, 4 radiographers, 2 echo technicians, 4 sterilisation operators and 314 multi-purpose workers like sanitary workers, securities, supervisors etc.

The maternity and child health block is in need of 533 staff, including 15 doctors, 21 ministerial staff, 110 staff nurses, 4 matrons, 74 paramedical staff and 314 contract workers for the smooth and effective functioning of this block.

Even after the V.O.C. Port sponsored a vehicle to transport patients from the hospital’s old building near the District Court Complex to the new block in Third Mile and vice versa for investigations and expert opinions, the Department of Public Health is yet to sanction even diesel and appoint 2 or 3 drivers for manoeuvring this vehicle round-the-clock.

Similarly, 4 or 5 cooks in this special block’s kitchen, which was built by Thoothukudi Corporation under ‘Namakku Naamey Scheme’, are yet to be appointed. While 4 or 5 washermen are needed to wash the hospital clothes, only 2 are working now.

“Senior officials are often visiting the Government Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital and the Third Mile campus. However, there is no sign of filling these posts, which have been vacant for the past 18 months,” said sources in the Government Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital.

Former Minister P. Geetha Jeevan, who played a vital role in getting funds for this speciality block, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the Tamil Nadu Government should take immediate steps to put into use the Super Speciality Hospital for Maternity and Child Health at the earliest by filling up all vacancies and installing the medical equipment.

“Please don’t delay the operationalisation of this wonderful medical facility as it was established in the DMK regime. It has been built to serve the poor patients, particularly the children. The DMK will soon mobilise the people of Thoothukudi and stage a massive protest if this facility is allowed to gather dust any more,” Ms. Geetha said.

Published - August 11, 2026 06:59 pm IST