Staff crunch has hit the functioning of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha Homoeopathy, Naturopathy) dispensaries across the district. The intensity is so much that at Suryapet, the Medical Officer (MO) visits only once in a week to Suryapet dispensary.
With the posts of MO and Compounder yet to be filled the person working as sweeper-cum-scavenger gives medicines here. The sweeper said that he issues medicines to those who come with a prescription.
About 200 patients visit the dispensary on the day the doctor comes to the dispensary.
The situation is same in other dispensaries too since the hospitals are facing acute staff shortage. Each and every dispensary must have one MO, one compounder and one sweeper, but a several number of hospitals have no MO and compounder. There are two kinds of AYUSH dispensaries functioning in State. One is funded by the State Government and another group of dispensaries are funded by Centre under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The NRHM took up no recruitment since 2009 while the State government recruited none during the past four years.
Though some compounders and sweepers have been recruited on contract basis, there are many more positions lying vacant across the district. Each and every dispensary receives a number of patients everyday.
Staff crunch hits functioning of AYUSH dispensaries across Nalgonda district
