Minister orders action over poor toilets and leaking pipes at Kilpauk hospital
Health Minister K G Arunraj on Friday ordered action against a maintenance contractor over poorly maintained toilets and directed the Public Works Department to immediately repair leaking water pipes during an inspection of the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai.
During his visit to the hospital, the minister reviewed the facilities at several key areas. These included the super-speciality block, the outpatient department, the visitors’ hostel, and the integrated emergency maternity and childcare unit. He also inspected the Amma Unavagam and the medical college hostel on the campus.
While inspecting the super-speciality block, the minister expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the toilets. He ordered immediate action against the contractor responsible for the poor maintenance. He instructed officials and contractors to ensure that toilets across the hospital premises are kept clean at all times.
In the old maternity block, the minister identified leaking water pipes and directed the Public Works Department to carry out repair works immediately to prevent further water leakage and inconvenience to patients.
Additionally, Minister Arunraj sought a detailed report from the hospital dean and the resident medical officer regarding the existing shortcomings in the outpatient department. The report must also outline the corrective steps proposed to address these issues.
The minister also highlighted the progress of the Nalam TN initiative, which has received Rs 2.8 crore in donations. According to Arunraj, these contributions reflect strong public and corporate interest in strengthening government healthcare infrastructure.
To streamline patient services, the hospital was directed to actively promote the Nalam AI WhatsApp bot. Arunraj asked the hospital administration to display awareness boards about the platform and to train staff and volunteers to assist patients in using the service. Currently, nearly 1.25 lakh people across 22 districts are using the WhatsApp platform for outpatient registration.
