Hyderabad: Nizamia Hospital yet to start non-Covid services

Hyderabad: Even after remaining unoccupied for more than 4-months, the Government Nizamia Hospital (Unani) which was turned as Quarantine Centre after the pandemic breakout, is yet to start normal functioning. General patients who otherwise were dependent on this hospital are not being admitted for treatments like paralysis and services of maternity. Even though for last two weeks, the 'Charminar Dawakhana' (generally referred) has started check-up of out-patients following orders of AYUSH department, it has not re-commenced services for in-patients. "I was undergoing treatment in hospital before lockdown and was discharged due to the coronavirus. Since then the only way I was able to contact the doctors as an outpatient. The doctor concerned would advise me medicine on-call. Now the doctors are consulting in an out-patient ward and I need to take paralytic treatment which needs doctor's observation by getting admitted," said Ali Bin Abdul Raheem, a paralytic patient from Barkas. He said that he is now continuing Unani medicines as well as the Allopathic medicines by consulting in a private clinic. "As the therapy was stopped after lockdown, I had to take antibiotics and painkillers or had to visit the private hospital for therapy," he added.

"Paralytic patients like us are facing problems as the treatment of therapy and massage is no more in the list of services for now. I had to undergo therapy in a private hospital, where they are charging huge fees, which is burning a hole in my pocket," said another patient in the out-patient ward who came to get admitted in the hospital, but returned back in disappointment.

According to doctors, there are several such patients who need to be admitted for their paralytic treatment, but no orders have been passed by the AYUSH Director for taking patients in. "Last week, Charminar MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan visited the hospital and over phone, he asked the AYUSH authorities to resume services for in-patients and the Director also assured. But since then there is no development as such," said Dr Hyder Yamani, an assistant professor and a representative of TS Unani Medical Office Association.

Government Nizamia General Hospital which is famous as Charminar Dawakhana is the only Unani hospital in city with in-patient ward and on an average daily 1,200 out-patients visit the hospital for consultation and more than 150 gynecology patients used to visit. This 180-bedded hospital is used to be almost full with mostly paralytic patients.