Only one delivery in two years at Thandikudi GH on Kodaikanal hills, reveals RTI reply

The Hindu

12-06-2025

Due to insufficient doctors and facilities at Thandikudi Government Hospital at Kodaikanal hills, only one delivery has been performed in the last two years, said a Right To Information (RTI) Act reply.
Thandikudi GH, one of the three GHs in the hills, caters to the need of several hundreds of people, mostly Scheduled Tribes, residing in areas of Mangalamkombu, Malaiyakadu, Kottakombu, Kadukuthadi Pudur, among others.
For the immediate medical assistance of the tribal people residing in those areas, Poolathur Primary Health Centre (PHC) best serves their needs, said the residents. But, for serious health conditions, pregnancies and accident treatments, the patients have to visit either of the three GHs – Thandikudi, Pannaikadu and Kodaikanal.
For the people residing around the Thandikudi GH, accessing the other two GHs in the hills would mean travelling more than 25km to 30km.
As the sole doctor at Thandikudi GH, due to the insufficient doctors and health workers, could not serve all the people, refers them either to GHs at Pannaikadu and Kodaikanal, located more than 25km to 30km away.
Backing the claim of the people, a RTI data gathered by Madurai based health activist A. Veronica Mary specified that the Thandikudi GH has only one doctor in place of the sanctioned post of three doctors.
While only 11 postings of pharmacists, nurses, technicians, of the 18 postings are filled, two positions of doctors and seven positions of paramedical staff remained vacant, the RTI reply added.
Despite the hospital having 20 beds and having recorded an outpatient visit of 65,679 in 2023 and 75,780 in 2024, only a handful of people have been admitted as inpatients.
Such patients, who wanted to get admitted for delivering babies, treated for accident injuries, were referred to hospitals in places like Kodaikanal, Badlagundu and Dindigul, said Ms. Veronica Mary.
'As the hospital has ultrasound scan machine to monitor the condition of the foetus during the pregnant women prenatal tests, due to the unavailability of a radiologist, pregnant women are referred to other hospital even for their periodical monthly check ups,' she alleged.
To substitute for the vacant positions and to manage the burden, the existing doctor must rush to the hospital on 'call duty' even during odd hours, she stated.
When the pregnant tribal women had to get admitted to hospital during their labour pain, they had to rush to the far away hospitals through the only mode of transport – bus, Ms. Veronica Mary noted.
Due to unawareness about getting prior admission in hospital for delivery, most of the tribal women, instead of taking long-distance travel, preferred to deliver babies in their houses, she pointed out.
'Though they deliver their babies safely and mishaps are hardly reported, thanks to assistance of village elders, the hospital exists for such purposes,' she added.
A health official in the district said the ultrasound machine was installed and a used one from a different hospital.
'As it collapsed recently, it is currently not in use,' the official added.
Regarding doctors, the official said that as the GH was located in a very remote area, doctors preferred not to work there.
'Though appointments were due to the unwillingness of doctors, the positions still remain vacant,' the official noted.