Health infrastructure gets a boost in city
While speaking in the ongoing Assembly session, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced the construction of new premises for 13 urban primary health centres (UPHC) in the Greater Chennai Corporation limits. Further, the UPHC at Sanjeevarayanpet in the Royapuram zone would be upgraded to a 100-bed hospital.
Some of the other announcements that will boost the health infrastructure in Chennai are:
- Setting up a state-run whole genome sequencing labo in the DMS Complex in Chennai at a cost of ₹4 crore. The lab would help a great deal to contain the spread of contagion by identifying the virus strains in circulation.
- Upgradation of the stem cell research centre at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital into the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Research at a cost of ₹2.44 crore.
- Establishing a Siddha Medical University near Chennai
- Setting up of frozen red blood cell storage equipment at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai at a cost of ₹3.75 crore.
- Establishing a paediatric bone marrow transplant unit at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children at Egmore at a cost of ₹2.56 crore to treat children suffering from cancer and bone marrow diseases.
- Setting up of a pulmonary rehabilitation facility at the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine at Tambaram.
- Creation of an accident and emergency care facility and a dialysis unit at the Periyar Nagar Government Hospital at Kolathur at a cost of ₹2.9 crore and ₹75 lakh respectively.
Source: The Hindu
Read more: Why are patients struggling to find hospital beds in Chennai?
Sponge park to come up in city
In a bid to prevent inundation and improve the groundwater table at the Kargil Nagar flood water pumping station in Manali zone, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has come up with a plan to set up a sponge park with an artificial pond and rain gardens.
The plan is an imitation of Tanner Park in Portland US where the run-off of stormwater drains is stored in ponds. Royal HaskoningDHV, a Netherlands-based firm, has been tasked with preparing a detailed project report.
The pond is an infiltration tank consisting of layers that facilitates water filtration (made of gravels, soil filters and blocks) and storing the run-off. Rain gardens are shallow depressions planted with native species and grasses that aim to store run-off from hard surfaces such as streets, parking, etc.
Source: The Times of India
41 crematoria to be upgraded
The civic body plans to give a facelift to 41 crematoria by upgrading and redeveloping the exteriors through design and tactical interventions like stone sculptures, seaters, green plantations, gazebos, informal seating areas, ponds and aesthetic signages.
The corporation has summoned architects to design the plan for revamping the exteriors. The civic body plans to implement the project by raising funds through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme.
Source: DT Next
Read more: How citizen action changed Kudlu crematorium
Corporation to reclaim Kodungaiyur dump yard
In a bid to reclaim the land on which the Kodungaiyur dump yard has been in operation for the past four decades, the civic body has initiated projects to process the legacy waste and study critical issues such as groundwater quality, air pollution and socioeconomic impacts.
The dump yard, spread across 258 acres, receives about 2,000 to 2,200 tonnes of waste on a daily basis. The legacy waste is estimated to be around 64 lakh cubic metre. As the dump yard continues to get unsegregated wastes, the civic body plans to have a facility that processes construction and demolition wastes.
The civic body has planned to identify a contractor to conduct bio-mining of legacy waste. After doing an audit of the waste characterisation, the useful inorganic waste will be directed to recycling centres and the organic parts of soil will be used for agricultural purposes.
Source: DT Next
Schools reopen for classes 9 to 12
After a long break, schools in Chennai and across the state started holding in-person classes for students from classes 9 to 12. The Public Health department had issued a detailed SOP for schools to being functioning even as the state continues to fight the pandemic. While the SOP mandates only accommodating 20 students in a class, schools belonging to the city corporation struggle to follow the rule due to lack of space and teachers.
On the first day of reopening, the corporation schools saw 67.62% of students in attendance. According to a civic body official, students in classes 9 and 11 have been instructed to attend school on alternate days depending on the availability of space in the school and for the schools to provide special focus on regular lessons for students of classes 10 and 12.
Source: The New Indian Express
[Compiled by Bhavani Prabhakar]