BHUBANESWAR:AIIMS Bhubaneswar’s much-vaunted integrated treatment facility combining Ayush with allopathic system of medicine has hit the rigid wall of Central apathy.
The facility earmarked by former Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan as a stand-out feature of the Bhubaneswar clone is sitting idle despite being ready with required infrastructure and an independent complex, only for the want of two doctors. It has been more than eight months since the institutes have submitted the names of the doctors, one in homeopathy and the other in Ayurveda, but the approval from Union Health Ministry is still not forthcoming.
The Ayush complex was slated to start off with 30 beds each in ayurveda and homeopathy along with a centre for Yoga while other streams like naturopathy, unani and siddha were to be added in stages.
The Ayush facility notwithstanding, a whole lot of other crucial projects and development initiatives including faculty recruitment are struggling to assume pace due to the indifference of Union Ministry. For the three years that the AIIMS clone has come into being, the Governing Body under chairmanship of Union Health Minister, which has to vet every proposal, has not met even once, sources rued.
As a result, even as it is set to celebrate its third Foundation Day on Wednesday, the institute is wallowing with its status not more than a district hospital. Of the 15 super speciality departments mandated for the premier institute, only Cardiology, Neurosurgery and Paediatric Surgery are functional. While the hospital has 69 faculty in place, recruitment of nearly 280 more sanctioned doctors has been affected along with senior residents. The proposal to start MD and MS postgraduate studies is also hanging in fire.
The present 330-bed hospital, though, has witnessed overwhelming patient inflow with more than 1.5 lakh OPD attendance and 6,600 indoor admissions in the last six months. With people pitching their faith on AIIMS, speedy development and qualitative services has become imperative. The solution would be to free AIIMS BBS from the project mode under the PMSSY Cell at the Central level and decentralise more power to the institute head, sources emphasised.
Director Prof AK Mohapatra, however, said, AIIMS Bhubaneswar was much ahead of its five counterparts in terms of facilities and performance. “The third advertisement for faculty recruitment has been published and list of 100 selected senior residents sent for approval. Expansion of the hospital is a gradual process and is going ahead,” he said.