Modernised maternity wards of Dr Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital: its managers want people to know about the facility

The once, hugely popular maternity hospital of Dr Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital in R. A. Puram is facing its biggest test in decade.

For two reasons. One due to the pandemic situation, Two, competition from private medical centres.

And the hurt is running deep now because it was not too long ago that the management here modernised this section and was all set to relaunch it when the pandemic swept in 2020.

Footfalls have dropped by over 75% and today, some 7 or 8 women check in.

Says T. K. Ranganathan, Additional Secretary here, ” We are losing out mainly due to Chennai Corporation hospitals in  localities in this part of city providing monetary benefits to pregnant mothers at different stages of their pregnancy.”

Added to this, the old hospital building with its civil, electrical and plumbing installations requiring frequent repairs and while this was carried out, the stoppage of medical care kept the patients away.

He says present President of DDMS [AMS] Usha Reddy was concerned with the affairs of the hospital and had a serious of discussions with both the Administrative Committee and Executive Committee Members.                              

Her direction led to total renovation of the operation theatre consisting a major, minor and sceptic OT the Intensive Care Room, the Post Operative Care Room and the Rooms in the ground floor of its “Manorama Block”.

The President donated for the entire renovation project and just when this re-fitted section was set to welcome people, the pandemic set in and since then, the mood is dull here.