February 25, 2014
120 new Ayush dispensaries to be set up in state hospitals
The state government has decided to set up 120 new Ayush dispensaries in government-run hospitals in the state to promote alternative medicine alongside the allopathic. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held in Nabanna.
According to the Minister of State for health, Ms. Chandrima Bhattacharya, of the 120 new dispensaries, 70 will be homeopathic, 40 ayurvedic and 10 unani. The government will recruit 360 personnel to man the new dispensaries. “One doctor, a pharmacist and a general duty staff will be recruited for each of the new dispensaries,” she said.
There are 1,352 government hospitals in the state; of them 605 hospitals currently have Ayush dispensaries. These include 409 homeopathic and 196 ayurvedic dispensaries. With the addition of 120 new dispensaries, the total number of AYUSH dispensaries in the state will go up 725.
The Cabinet also extended the West Bengal Health Scheme by a year till 2015. “The scheme which is meant for state government employees was to expire in March this year,” state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Partha Chatterjee said. Unlike the system of reimbursement that existed before, the employees would now enjoy the benefit of a cash-less treatment of up to Rs 1 lakh at empanelled hospitals, he added.
