Staff shortage cripples Ludhiana's ayurvedic care
The district Ayurveda department is facing an acute shortage of staff, which is hampering the smooth functioning of dispensaries and the only Ayurvedic hospital in the district. On one hand, the government is promoting Ayurveda and encouraging people to adopt alternative forms of medicine, but on the other hand, the staff shortage is causing significant challenges for patients. The Ayurvedic centres are struggling to run their operations effectively.
Ludhiana district has one Ayurvedic hospital located in Model Gram, where surgeries are also conducted and in addition to this, there are 64 dispensaries in the district — 41 run by the state health department and 23 under the National Health Mission. The district has a total of 64 posts for Ayurvedic Medical Officers (AMOs), of which 19 are currently vacant. There are five nurse positions, all of which are vacant. Two nurses were posted at the Government Ayurvedic Hospital in Model Gram, with one each assigned to Haibowal, Dholewal and Dana Mandi. Additionally, 17 dispensaries are operating without a pharmacist (up-Vaid), and eight such dispensaries do not have either an AMO or a pharmacist. These dispensaries are being managed by staff on special duty assignments.
The Government Ayurvedic Hospital is the most severely affected by the shortage, leading to a significant decline in the number of surgeries performed at the hospital. Previously, 10-12 surgeries were conducted, but now the number has dropped to nearly zero. Out of the two nurses posted at this hospital, one retired last year, while the other was called back by the department in August. As a result, there is no nursing care available for patients post-surgery. The hospital has two doctors, Dr Hemant Kumar (surgeon) and Ayurvedic Medical Officer Dr Shivani Arora.
Dr Hemant Kumar said “Women patients, in particular, are turning away due to the lack of nursing care. Despite multiple requests to the department, the situation remains unresolved.” He added that the hospital offers free surgical treatments, and the worst affected are those who cannot afford expensive surgeries elsewhere.
Dr Raman Khanna, the District Ayurveda and Unani Officer, confirmed the shortage of AMOs, nurses and pharmacists. “The nurses sent to the Ayurveda department on deputation by the health department have been called back. Punjab has five Ayurvedic hospitals in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mohali, Moga and Amritsar, but only Jalandhar has nursing staff, while all other stations face vacancies,” he said. Dr Khanna added that doctors retire or are transferred, but the vacant posts are not filled. He assured that the department has already informed the authorities about the critical shortage of medical officers, nurses and pharmacists.
