30% drop in number of patients visiting homoeopathy OPD

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 17

The number of daily patient inflow at homoeopathy outpatient department (OPD) in the Civil Hospital has dropped up to 30 percent in the past year as two of its doctors are instructed to serve at different districts two days every week.

The homoeopathy OPD witnessed as many as 23,353 patients (including) in 2016 that number nosedived to 18,158 in 2017. The move by district health department has not only taken bearing on patients but also the doctors who had to travel more than 150 kilometers twice in a week to Budhlada in Mansa.

Gurjeet Singh, district homeopathy officer, said, “The patient inflow at homeopathy OPD was increasing at 10 percent on annual basis till 2016. We have two doctors at the unit and they have been instructed to visit homeopathy centre at Mansa on Mondays and Thursdays of every week. The move by health department has taken its toll on inflow of patients as now OPD section of homeopathy unit run for 18 days a month (8 days doctors serve at Mansa and four Sundays). I also examine handful few patients when doctors are not here but most of the time I remain engaged in administrative work.”

Sources in health department said that when there are no doctors available in homeopathy centres and dispensaries in the district, instructing doctors to serve at another district does not make logical sense.

More than 70 percent of the patients visiting the homeopathy OPD are from villages of the district and majority of them are suffering from arthritis, skin diseases, kidney stone problems.

Dr Jagjeet Singh Buttar, said, “As our working days at the homeopathy OPD at Civil Hospital are reduced now, overall patient inflow has decreased manifold. We have to travel more than 150 kilometers (to and fro) to other district two times every week while dozens of patients visiting the homeopathy OPD at Civil Hospital have to return without being examined.”

Civil Surgeon, Hari Narayan Singh, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.