45-yr-old dispensary gets new lease of life
Finally, the 45-year-old Ayurvedic Dispensary, now Ayush Health and Wellness Centre (AHWC), located at Sarabha Nagar’s Power Colony, has got a new lease of life. A few years ago, when The Tribune team visited this dispensary, it was in a bad shape — there was no board outside, the chairs were rickety, and the place was being run single-handedly by a midwife with no doctor present.
Established in 1980, it is one of the oldest ayurvedic dispensaries in the city. It has now been shifted to a new building in the Power Colony itself. When we arrived at the new location in the morning, we were pleasantly surprised to see that a yoga class was in progress, with two instructors managing a group of 15-20 people from all age groups.
Sangeeta, who attends the yoga class daily, said this AHWC has been a boon for her. “I never visited the dispensary when it was located on the other side of the colony as it was very shoddy, but now not only has the infrastructure improved, but the functioning of this dispensary has improved as well.”
“The doctor advised me to do yoga daily, and I was looking for a class when someone from the colony told me about the yoga classes held here every morning. It is near my house and free of charge, so I’m happy to come here every morning. In case there is any health issue, I also take the medicine here, which is also free of cost,” she added.
Another patient visiting the dispensary for a general ailment shared that private ayurvedic practitioners charge a lot of money for prescription fees, and the medicine is costly too. But here, everything is free, and the staff is also very helpful and cordial, the patient said.
The doctor in-charge of AHWC, Dr Jaswinder, said she has seen things changing for good. “The earlier dispensary was in very poor condition and we used to fear that the roof could fall anytime, but now everything here is well-maintained and new. The supply of medicines is regular and we have the required staff here,” she added.
This AHWC has a doctor, a pharmacist and two yoga instructors, and on average, it receives 15-20 patients daily. Regular camps are also being organised here, which attract a lot of local people.
