Govt unani, homoeopathy hospitals to open next month

At long last, the government unani and homeopathy hospitals are all set for inauguration this March. 

Funded by the State government, these facilities are coming up in Basaveshwarnagar opposite the Government Unani Medical College (GUMC) and the Government Homeopathic Medical College (GHMC) respectively. Both the hospitals will have 100 beds each and departments of dentistry, gynaecology, surgery, ophthalmology and radiology. 

The proposal to build the hospitals was approved in 2010 and construction began a year later. The construction was entrusted to the Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project. 

The unani hospital, which is attached to the GUMC, was to be inaugurated in 2015. But funds were released in instalments, delaying the construction, said a top source in the Department of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga And Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha And Homoeopathy). 

Following a proposal by the Department of Ayush, the government approved recruitment of additional staff for the hospitals. 

Seventy-five staff members, including doctors, paramedics and group D staff, will be recruited for the unani hospital and 80 for the homeopathy hospital. 

Dr Shakeela Banu, principal, GUMC, said that five out of the 14 departments in the college were clinical and offered treatment at the hospital. 

The hospital will have departments of general medicine, dermatology, regimental therapies unit which includes cupping, leech therapy, therapeutic massages, steam bath, heat therapy, exercise for weight loss, paediatrics, ENT, dentistry, surgery (minor OT and major OT), pathology lab, obstetrics and gynaecology. “About 13-14 medical officers (allopathy doctors) will also be recruited, besides Unani physicians,” she added. 

Dr A L Patil, principal, GHMC, said that 60 per cent of the beds had been reserved for medical cases, 20 per cent for surgical and 20 per cent for obstetrics and gynaecology. The homeopathy hospital will also recruit allopathy doctors.