Basic facilities elude ayurvedic dispensary at Mukandpur

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, April 16

Even as successive state governments have made tall claims of reviving Indian system of medicines, particularly Ayurveda, a visit to the ayurvedic dispensary at Mukandpur village near here is enough to belie their claims.

Ayurvedic Medical Officer and two helpers deployed at the dispensary at Mukandpur village have to knock the gate of Government Elementary School situated next to the dispensary to use washroom and drink water.

Reason: The Ayurvedic dispensary situated in a remote area of Mukandpur village sans toilets and drinking water facilities since its inception. Helper Seema has to fetch water from the government school or sometimes from the neighbourhood since the dispensary has no water supply of its own.

The Ayurvedic Medical Officer said she had time and again written to the higher authorities and even apprised the Panchayat General Secretary of the village of the dilapidated condition of the building and lack of basic amenities, but to no avail.

After failing to get any financial help from the village panchayat as the dispensary runs from the panchayat building, the AMO had to spend money from her own pocket to get a makeshift toilet constructed within the premises of the dispensary.

A visit to the dispensary reveals that it is functional from a moisture-laden small room which caters to the medical needs of around 15-20 patients on an average from the village and the nearby areas and less attention has been given to the maintenance part.

The building is old and has broken windows. Whitewash has also not been done since long.

Call it lack of awareness or sheer indifference, the village panchayat has not taken any initiative to deal with the functioning of the dispensary. In fact, the situation has only gone from bad to worse, said sources.

Dr Rakesh Sharma, Director, Ayurveda, said they have got the funds and the problem regarding infrastructure and other amenities would be redressed on a priority basis.

Pleas ignored

The Ayurvedic Medical Officer said she had time and again written to the higher authorities and even apprised the Panchayat General Secretary of the village of the dilapidated condition of the building and lack of basic amenities, but to no avail.