Hyderabad: Anxious wait for Charminar Dawakhana to resume ops

Hyderabad: Ali Bin Abdul Raheem is a paralytic patient from Barkas. He needs to consult doctors from time to time, and to change or continue medications. But the Covid-19 crisis dealt him a shock and he has been deprived any therapy since the start of lockdown from March. Now, as relaxations are being eased, he is knocking on doors of the famous unani hospital at Charminar, but it has yet to resume general services. And he does not when he will get to see a doctor. His is not a solitary cases. Hundreds like are anxiously wating for treatment at the hospital.

Government Nizamia General Hospital (Charminar Dawakhana) is very famous and patients from far-away places, too, visit for Unani treatment of various ailments. It is seen thronging with patients any day. But these days, patients are returning – rather being turned away – disappointed as the doctors are not seeing them.

It was earlier designated as Covid-19 quarantine centre in mid-May and outpatient services were suspended. Of late, its name has been missing from the list of quarantine centres. Yet, it is not resuming regular operations, with the result that patients are desperate and at a loss to go anywhere else.

Since all government hospitals have re-started consultation services for outpatients, several people are arriving at the Charminar Dawakhana only to be sent back – with no valid reason. Take the case of Raheem. He underwent treatment at the Dawakhana and was discharged before the lockdown. He is visiting the hospital for treatment for some time, but to no avail. He was on telephonic consultation with his doctors and continuing medicines, but for the therapy he has to visit the hospital. But for the last two months, he has been unable to get any medical help and suffers a lot, as a result.

According to hospital sources, the hospital is removed from the Covid-19 Quarantine centre list, and it has been running idle for several days at least 15 days. Officials are yet to take a call on resuming operations, and the patients are in the dark about the goings-on.

Source said that there were around 970 suspected cases under quarantine at the Dawakhana and of them 140 cases tested positive for Covid and were referred to Gandhi Hospital for treatment. "The hospital has seen no activity since mid-May. It is learnt that only 2 suspected cases were admitted, and both were discharged in 2 days on Wednesday."

"Is the government is thinking of discouraging or altogether stopping Unani treatment?" asked a patient in anguish.

The hospital was actually a 180-bedded one, but was upgraded to a 350-bedded centre in March for admission of virus suspect cases. But, but no additional infrastructure has been provided. The patients who were admitted were discharged on March 21.

Around 800-1000 patients used to the hospital for consultation daily. It is a hospital for general medicine and Unani medicine. It was established during the reign of Nizams. It is located near the historic Charminar. Currently, it wears a deserted look, with patients keenly looking forward to resumption of Unani treatment.