Basthi dawakhanas fall sick sans doctors

Kukatpally/Serilingampally: The Basthi Dawakhanas that were launched with much fanfare six months ago are now grappling with a host of problems, the most prominent being lack of doctors. Most of the Basthi Dawakhanas are run by nurses as the government is yet to appoint doctors. There are no doctors in the dawakhanas in Kukatpally and Serilingampally.

At the Yellamma Banda dawakhana in Kukatpally, a nurse on condition of anonymity, said, “We have adequate medicines for all kinds of fever but patients get disappointed when they come to know that there are no doctors.” Speaking to The Hans India, the Deputy DMHO Medchal Malkajgiri district, Dr Anand, said, “Doctors have not joined duty. Fresh notifications would be issued.” He further added that a proposal for 40 more hospitals in Medchal Malkajgiri has been sent to the commissioner health and family planning.

S V Madhavan, a social activist says, “The whole purpose of establishing these dawakhanas gets defeated as there are no doctors. People are losing faith in the system. There is a sizable population that is poor in these divisions who badly need quality healthcare.” It may be noted that the health department along with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation started more than 50 Basthi Dawakhanas under phase1 in GHMC limits. On an average, 10-15 patients visit the Basthi Dawakhanas and staff at these centres say that the lack of awareness on the existence of dawakhanas is also a reason.

BY Mohsin Ali