Expressindia news "AYUSH medicos done role of main doctors"

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"AYUSH medicos done role of main doctors"

Posted: May 08, 2009 at 0106 hrs IST

Vadodara/Savli Two years ago, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) had devised a plan by which Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) doctors were to work as helpers to MBBS doctors at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in villages.

But because of the shortage of MBBS doctors in rural areas, AYUSH doctors are forced to function as main doctors at these centres. As per the recent data, over 428 ayurvedic doctors and 228 homeopathic doctors are recruited against 647 MBBS doctors at the state’s 1,080 PHCs under the NRHM’s AYUSH project.

At 76 PHCs in Vadodara district, over 43 AYUSH doctors are recruited against 51 MBBS doctors. The inability to post MBBS doctors at rural centres has made the AYUSH doctors take charge of the entire unit. As per the NRHM guidelines, AYUSH doctors were recruited for supervising the national healthcare programmes in villages and give preventive medicines.

They were to dispense medicines to control communicable diseases and vector and water borne diseases, supervise tuberculosis cases and work for decreasing maternal mortality and infant mortality rates. Instead, now AYUSH doctors are required to handle not only routine treatment but also complicated and emergency cases at the PHCs.

While the PHC at Pandu village in Savli does not have any MBBS doctor for past two years, over 525 deliveries were carried out at the PHC by an AYUSH doctor.

“The nearest health care unit having an MBBS doctor is the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Savli village which is very far from here. With the pregnant women coming at the last moment, immediate deliveries are to be conducted,” said Jyotsna Jadav, an AYUSH worker in Savli taluka.

She said though critical cases are sent to the CHC, in emergency complicated cases have also been handled here as well,” said Jadav.

“A large number of accidents take place on this stretch of road at Desar and the victims have to be invariably taken to Savli CHC as no MBBS doctor is available anywhere else. Many a times, victims dieon the route,” said Bharat Chauhan a resident of Desar village.

Although AYUSH doctors are not allowed to take medico-legal cases, besides giving ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines to patients, these doctors often have to take up other modes of medication in emergencies.

“I am hardly able to carry out the field work that I am required to do. There are at least 30 to 40 patients at the centre daily. Even though I keep myself restricted to ayurvedic medicines, in emergencies I am forced to carry out duties of an MBBS doctor,” said an ayurvedic (AYUSH) doctor at a village in Savli taluka.

Vadodara Chief District Health Officer, Dr Bhagwat Itare, said, “MBBS doctors do not want to take up rural postings and hence their posts at PHCs remain vacant. There are many PHCs without MBBS doctors but AYUSH doctors are helpful in taking up preventive measures and handle emergency cases.”