At the Tambaram government hospital, patients were carried out to safety on makeshift stretchers.
A number of patients and their relatives have been left stranded at
Chennai's MIOT hospital (Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology ) in Porur after the doctors and nurses apparently fled to safety, abandoning them in the flooded hospital.
The city has been deluged since last evening after torrential rains, said to be the worst in nearly 100 years.
Vasundra, whose husband is a patient in the hospital, told NDTV that there is no food, water, or electricity in the hospital, which has been flooded since last night.
This morning, as the waters receded a little, the staff apparently left. "We cannot find anyone in the hospital... There is nobody to help us out or give us any aid or information," she said.
In absence of electricity, the cellphones of most people are out of battery, and they were cut off from the outside world as the televisions were not working. They have been "unable to even call for help through the helpline numbers which have been flashing on television," Vasundra said.
It is not yet known how many of the hospital's 500 beds are full.
But the situation was different at the Tambaram government hospital, where patients were carried out to safety on makeshift stretchers. The hospital staff were seen doing most of the work.
NDTV also saw health workers walking around 6 km through the submerged streets to reach their patients.
Chennai has been facing a huge crisis since last night as torrential rains over the last three days and the rising waters from the Adyar river left the city flooded. The airport has been flooded, trains have stopped and road transport has virtually been non-existent.
The army, navy, air force and the National Disaster Response Force have been out on the streets on rescue missions. More troops are ready to come, but they were having trouble reaching the city since the airport is also shut.
The met office has warned that heavy rains will continue for a week and the situation may worsen in the next 24 hours.
Emergency Toll Free Number: 1910, State Emergency: 1070, District Emergency: 1077, Electricity:1912, Fire & Rescue: 101, Ambulance: 108, Tree fall, waterlogging - 1913, Sewage overflow - 45674567, 22200335
Helpline Numbers: Tiruvottiyur : 09445190001, Manali: 09445190002; Madhavaram: 9445190003, Ambattur: 9445190007; Tondiarpet: 9445190004, Royapuram: 9445190005; Annanagar: 9445190008, Teynampet: 9445190009, Alandur: 9445190012, Adyar: 9445190013,Perungudi: 9445190014
Flood Control Room: 28593990, 044-28410577,9445869843/47