ROURKELA: With the medical system of AYUSH grappling with neglect, lack of resources and manpower in Sundargarh, practitioners have now pinned their hope on the Ministry of AYUSH after a Central team recently visited the district. The team, sources said, met State-level AYUSH authorities and took stock of gaps in the practise of alternative medical systems in the district.
In Sundargarh district, all the homoeopathy and ayurveda facilities including the Utkalmani Homoeopathy Medical College & Hospital (UHMCH) at Rourkela under the AYUSH Directorate continue to face myriad problems like inadequate basic amenities, infrastructure, drugs, consumables and manpower.
Over the last five years, UHMCH has improved its infrastructure but continues to suffer from whopping vacancies. Reliable source informed that all 15 posts of readers and 11 of 15 posts of lecturers are vacant. Besides, at least seven of the 12 departments do not have specialist faculties.
There are about 28 homeopathy dispensaries across the district, all of which are either struggling with poor infrastructure or vacancies and supplies. In Rourkela, there were eight homeopathy dispensaries under Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC). All have closed by now. Two remaining Homeopathy Medical Officers of the RMC were attached to the city Urban Public Health Centres (UPHCs) since December 2020. Similarly, there are 33 Government Ayurveda Dispensaries (GADs) in Sundargarh of which only 24 have doctors and ayurveda assistants and that too only after the recent postings.
It is learnt, hardly half a dozen of GADs have recently constructed buildings on land of their own while most do not have their own buildings and are running from donated accommodations. Former Principal of UHMCH and advisor to All Odisha Homeopathy Physicians’ Association Dr Gyana Ranjan Giri said due to neglect, the low-cost AYUSH system of therapies are failing to gain popularity and benefit people to their potential. AYUSH doctors are playing important roles in running the rural CHCs and PHCs, but are paid lower than allopathic doctors.
PG seats in the State’s Homeopathy MCHs and specialisation are also decreasing and there is urgent need to strengthen the education system to produce quality homoeopathy doctors, he said. On the other hand, District Ayurveda Medical Officer (DAMO) Dr Birendra Pandey claimed the situation is gradually improving with medicine supplies, filling up of vacancies and infrastructure improvement.