Minister Vijay Balaji inspected the facilities and distributed welfare aid to beneficiaries. Collector P.S. Leela Alex was also present.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Minister of Handlooms and Textiles M. Vijay Balaji inaugurated facilities including health centres, an out-patient block, additional school buildings and anganwadi centres in Vellore on Thursday.
The Minister also opened additional buildings in government schools at Virinchipuram, Chinna Allapuram and K.V. Kuppam. An anganwadi centre was opened in Karigiri village near Katpadi. As part of environmentally friendly measures, 20 e-carts for garbage collection were also flagged off in Gudiyatham town.
Accompanied by officials and Collector P.S. Leela Alex, Mr. Balaji inspected the newly opened facilities. “The new health sub-centre and other health facilities will help residents, especially in remote villages and tribal hamlets, get basic health care services. Expectant mothers will be monitored by staff in these health facilities,” M. Vijay Chandran, District Health Officer (DHO), Vellore, said.
The new health centre, which was built at a cost of ₹45 lakh at Murukambattu village near Gudiyatham town, was a long-standing demand of residents. At present, they trek at least 8-10 kms to reach Gudiyatham, the nearest town that has a government taluk hospital for health services. “The new health centre at Murukambattu village will help senior citizens and women. The new facility should have regular staff to attend to emergencies,” said G. Sivakumar, a resident.
The new health centre will have two beds for inpatients, an outpatients block, a separate cabin for Village Health Nurse (VHN), a common visitors hall, laboratory facilities, and a pharmacy with adequate stocks. Adequate parking space for ambulances and other vehicles will also be provided.
Officials said that health sub-centres will focus on the health of expectant mothers, children, immunization programmes and other government health schemes in remote villages. The VHN was also trained to treat minor illnesses like fever and cold. The health centre will work between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on all days except on Sundays.
As per norms, a group of villages should have more than 5,000 residents to get a new sub-health centre. At present, the district has 48 primary health centres and 235 sub-health centres.
A block-level public health testing unit was also opened at Melpadi tribal village, that comes under Anaicut panchayat union in Jawadhu Hills. The new facility, built at a cost of ₹55 lakh, will help testing biological samples provided by residents.
Published – July 31, 2026 12:46 am IST
