Ayurvedic dispensary grapples with poor facilities in Dera Bassi

Satinder Pal Singh

Samgoli (Dera Bassi), May 24

Lack of infrastructure, inadequate staff, absence of drinking water facility and toilets present a grim picture of an ayurvedic dispensary situated in a remote area of Samgoli village near here.

Ranjana, Ayurvedic Medical Officer (AMO), is single-handedly managing affairs at Government Ayurvedic dispensary at Samgoli village, essaying the role of a doctor and a pharmacist, besides maintaining registers and other clerical work.

The dispensary has been without pharmacists for the past six years, claimed sources.

“The dispensary functions from a two-room structure as an out-patient facility. It caters to the medical needs of around 30-35 patients and even more from the village and nearby localities every day. Though more than 10 years have passed since its inception, there has been no improvement in its functioning or infrastructure,” said Rajkumar, a helper at ayurvedic dispensary.

The dispensary lacks proper seating arrangements and various other basic facilities. There is an ample space that occupies the area in front of the dispensary, but there has been no initiative of the department concerned in regard to its usage, claimed residents.

The existing facility itself requires a lot of attention. Area residents feel that ayurvedic medication is the most effective method of treatment and it does not have any side effect.

This facility attracts people from the nearby remote areas, but the sole ayurvedic dispensary here at Samgoli village has been facing an acute shortage of medicines, forcing patients to buy these from outside, said Ramesh, a patient.

The dispensary has no provision for proper toilets and drinking water for patients, rued another patient.

Officials in ayurveda said they had already written to higher-ups to fill vacant posts of pharmacists. Since the dispensary is operating from the panchayat building, they had spoken to the village sarpanch regarding the issues, which would be solved on a priority basis.