Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Jul 27: The union government has begun government ayurveda centres in rural areas also in order to popularize the Indian traditional medicine system. However, land was identified for the same and proposal was sent to government in 2018 for establishing ayurveda centres in Vandse and Kota but approval is still pending.

At present 14 government ayurvedic centres are operating in the district and there are permanent doctors in 13 of them. In Belapu centre, one post is vacant. But a doctor works there on outsource basis. On an average, 25 to 30 patients visit every ayurveda center. The public is demanding to open ayurveda clinics in Kota and Vandse but the proposal sent to district ayush department is kept pending.

In the district centre, a 10-bed capacity hospital is functioning on its own building in the campus of district hospital. Though the doctor is expert, there is shortage of nurses and other staff. As there is no security, nursing staff and food facility, inpatient admission is not possible. Patients who seek panchakarma treatments are given the same only from morning till evening. In many ayush hospitals including Karkala and Kundapur, nurses and staff are working on outsource basis. Full time recruitment of staff is still not done.

Dr Satish Acharya, district Ayush officer says, “Treatment and medicine are freely available in all ayurveda clinics. On an average, 50 to 60 patients are visiting the clinics. There is homeopathy and Unani medical sections also in the hospital. After Covid, Ayurveda is getting more preference by the patients.”