The 50-year-old hospital for police personnel in Egmore is not in a healthy state.
It is noticeably rundown.
Sometime ago, there was some talk by senior officials about the facility getting renovated.
But nothing has come out of it, so far. Hundreds of police personnel and their families, who are unable to afford treatment private hospitals, rely on this ill-equipped police hospital. .
The hospital originally started as a dispensary in 1963 with a limited staff to cater to the needs of policemen at the old commissionerate on Panthenon Road in Egmore. Today, it is a full-fledged facility with 40 beds and offers treatment for diabetes, eye, skin ailments, obstetrics, general medicine and orthopaedics. Field-level police personnel including constables, sub-inspectors, assistant commissioners of police who serve within the Chennai City police limits and their families visit the hospital for treatment. Medical leave for the police personnel within city limits is granted only by the hospital.
On an average, around 800 persons visit the hospital every day. But the poor infrastructure in the hospital including seating for visitors, the condition of the screening equipment for various tests including blood pressure, diabetics and ECG leaves a lot to be desired. There is a shortage of doctors too.
Further, police personnel posted in the fringe areas of the city too have to come to the hospital for treatment. Instead, it would be better to have small police dispensaries covering a group of police stations in the city. “Several housing quarters have been built for the police in the city over the years but it is by far the lone police hospital renovated with better facilities,” said K. Sekar, a policeman.
According to sources, in 2012, Rs. 80 lakh was allotted by the State Government to improve the hospital. However, two years later, the hospital shows no improvement. “Efforts will be taken for the complete renovation of the hospital,” said a police officer.
