It may sound incredible but true. Paramedics at a good number of Unani dispensaries double up as doctors and attend to patients. The reason: 60 out of the 180 odd Unani dispensaries across the State are without medical officers.
These dispensaries are situated in smaller towns and mandal headquarters across the State where a sizeable number of poor reside. At a few other dispensaries, the authorities have appointed doctors on contract basis. All this while the public remains deprived of Unani medicine facility.
According to information obtained through the Right to Information Act, there are 184 posts of medical officers at various dispensaries of which 61 are vacant. The authorities have appointed 33 doctors on a contract basis while 90 are regular employees, but still much is to be done, people feel.
The situation is worse in the Seemaandhra region with almost all the dispensaries in East and West Godavari, Krishna, Vizianagaram, Visakapathnam, Chittoor, Guntur districts having no medical officer leaving the task to compounders and employees. “Due to lack of medical officers, the Unani medicine is losing patronage and there is a danger of dispensaries closing down,” complains Dr. Mohd Saleem, president, Andhra Pradesh Unani Medical Officers’ Association.
The situation is no better in Telangana region where a good number of dispensaries in Adilabad, Nalgonda, Medak and Warangal are without a medical officer. In districts like Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar, the authorities have posted doctors at many dispensaries on contract basis.
“Now that the State will be bifurcated, the administration should ensure that the Unani medicine gets its due in both the States,” demands Mr. Saleem.
Post-bifurcation, the Unani doctors’ association wants the governments in both the States to set up one Unani medical college in each district and increase the strength of Unani dispensaries.
