Ranipet Collector N. Priya inspects a new sub health centre, which was virtually opened by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, at Perumalraj Pettai village near Arakkonam town in Ranipet on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay virtually inaugurated two sub health centres at Kammasamudiram and Perumalraj Pettai villages in Vellore and Ranipet districts respectively on Tuesday.Health officials said that the health facilities under construction, including additional buildings and block level health units, are being given finishing touches like painting and testing of electrical equipment.Accompanied by health officials, P.S. Leela Alex and N. Priya, District Collectors for Vellore and Ranipet respectively, inspected the new facilities. “New sub health centres will help residents, especially in remote villages and tribal hamlet,s to get basic health care. Expectant mothers will be monitored by staff in these centres,” K. Senthil Kumar, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), Ranipet, told The Hindu.New health centres in these villages are long standing demand for residents. At present, they trek 8-10 km to reach Vellore or Arakkonam, the nearest towns that have a health centre and a government hospital for basic medical facilities.“As Kamasamudram village located at the foothills of Jawadhu Hills, senior citizens and women have to risk themselves by walking on rocky terrain to reach the nearest government hospital in Vellore town for treatment. The new health centre will end our ordeal,” said K. Pari, a resident.The new health centre will have two beds for in-patients, an out-patients block, 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. Each health centre, on an average, was built at a cost of ₹45 lakh under the 15th Finance Commission. Land for the new health centres was donated by residents in these villages. Health officials said that sub health centres would focus on the health of expectant mothers, children, immunization programmes, and other government health schemes in remote villages. The VHNs are 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. It should also cover a population in the radius of at least five km. At present, Ranipet has 197 sub health centres as against over 300 centres in Vellore. Published - July 14, 2026 11:52 pm IST
