Hyderabad: A ... dawakhana without doctor!

Hyderabad: To facilitate medical treatment, consultancy and diagnostic services to citizens across the twin cities, the State government set up over 150 Basti Dawakhanas, especially in slums, for the benefit of the poor and needy. But a basti dawakhana located at Saheb Nagar in LB Nagar is providing health services to the residents- only two days in a week. Shockingly, there are no doctors available in the health centre during the rest of the week..

Residents of Saheb Nagar, specially slum-dwellers, have been facing difficulties as they are forced to approach private clinics for treatment of ailments though basti dawakhana exists in the area. Locals point out that, if they want to visit a government-run public health centre they had to travel all the way to other areas.

"Apart from people visiting the hospital for regular check ups, even pregnant women with normal health issues like fever are returning home as there are no doctors present in the hospital," said Ravi Kumar, a resident.

Recently, a dog bite victim was brought to this basti dawakhana for treatment but he was referred to the government hospital. Till now five of them were also referred to other hospitals. Residents say that the purpose of the hospital is not being fulfilled. "Nurses or sometimes compounders are attending to patients as doctors are not coming to the hospital," said another resident.

However, the State health department has assigned enough healthcare staff at every basti dawakhana that includes a doctor, nurse, testing person, and a compounder. They are supposed to attend to people complaining of seasonal illnesses like cold, cough, fever, and diarrhoea.

Another resident who visited the hospital to get treated told that on reaching the hospital he asked for the doctor. The staff there replied that there is no doctor available. He was dumbstruck for a while. He said that he found the hospital empty and near-deserted, There was no doctor but only a compounder was sitting at the desk.'' When I asked him to provide some medicines he expressed his inability to do so. When asked about the nurse he said that she is on leave.This is sad state of affairs prevailing in the basti dawakhana', he rued.

As many as 10 patients are daily returning without getting treated at this hospital.

However, when contacted the District Deputy Medical Officer said the doctor is on leave but the department is trying its best to assign a doctor to the hospital along with nursing staff, and a pharmacist.