Collector P.S. Leela Alex has written to the Health Secretary of the State government to get a nod from National Health Mission (NHM) to set up a full-fledged government health centre for tribals atop Alleri hillock in Vellore.
Health officials said that Ms. Alex had highlighted the plight of residents in the hillock in getting better healthcare facilities. They have to trek the rocky terrain through forests to get treatment at Government Taluk Hospital in Anaicut, the nearest hospital at a distance of around 20 km in the plains.
Along with officials, Ms. Alex visited tribal hamlets in the hillock recently. She also interacted with residents on the existing available basic facilities in the hamlets. “The government health centre in Alleri hills should be treated as a special case due to its inaccessible terrain. We are hopeful that work for the new health centre will start in the coming months,” M. Vijay Chandran, District Health Officer (DHO), Vellore, told The Hindu.
At present, the hillock, which is located on the eastern side of Jawadhu Hills, has three big tribal villages, namely Peenjamanthai, Jarthankollai, and Palampattu villages. Alleri tribal hamlet was part of Peenjamanthai village panchayat before the hamlet was bifurcated to become a separate panchayat in 2025. The hamlet has around 300 families.
Since then, efforts have been taken to provide basic facilities like bitumen road, permanent building for panchayat office and PDS outlet and a government health centre. “For years, sick and expectant mothers are carried in two-wheelers on the uneven terrain to government hospitals in the plains. A proper road and a health centre will end our ordeal of safe accessibility for healthcare,” said R. Murugan, a resident.
Currently, Alleri village has a government primary school, an anganwadi centre and a bike ambulance. A permanent building for the existing PDS outlet is under construction.
Health officials said that the proposal to set up a tribal health centre in the hillock was a special initiative due to its inaccessible terrain for its residents to get safe health care facilities. At present, Peechamandai and Aravatla along Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border are the only two tribal hamlets that have government health centres in the district. Both hamlets are safely accessible by bitumen roads.
As per plan, the new health centre will have two duty doctors and staff nurses. Separate wards for treatment, especially for snake bites will be set up. Laboratory facilities, fully furnished pharmacies with adequate stocks will be available. Ambulance services will be operated at the centre to refer cases to government hospitals in the plains.
Published – August 03, 2026 05:30 am IST
