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Only 20 of the 38 districts in TN have Siddha medical officers
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
October 29 , 2021
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Even while shortages of medical officers are hitting the services of the department of Indian Systems of Medicines (ISM) in Tamil Nadu, only 20 of the 38 revenue districts have Siddha medical officers (DSMOs) and their offices.
The remaining 18 districts are looked after by officers of nearby districts and some of them have charges of even three or four districts.
What is special with Tamil Nadu administration system is that the DSMOs are the notified Ayush drug inspectors assigned to inspect manufacturing industry and sales depots.
Now allegation is mounting from all corners that these DSMOs are not conducting any inspection in retail or wholesale shops of traditional medicines and also in the manufacturing sites. As far as the 18 districts where there are no DSMOs are concerned, no officer is working either as DSMO or as the responsible inspector of drugs. Even when there is a complaint about spurious or adulterated drugs, sold through medical shops or clinics, nobody is bound to conduct inspections and address the complaints, it is alleged.
What is more deplorable is that in the state, which is popularly known as the hub of Siddha medicine and treatment, where the number of government hospitals with in-patient facility (IP Wards) is only six in addition to the two siddha medical colleges functioning at Palayamkottai in Thirunelveli and Arumbakkam in Chennai. The demand of siddha stakeholders for independent hospitals for Ayush systems still remains as it is, says the secretary of the traditional medicine research centre (CTMR) operating at Adampakkam.
While talking about the apathy of the government in establishing more facilities for Ayush systems, Dr. T T Narayan, secretary of the Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) in Chennai has said Siddha hospitals operating in Trichy, Erode, Kancheepuram, Velur, Theni and Dindukkal only have 15 bedded IP facilities and all other districts have Siddha wings co-located with allopathic district hospitals. People who are following traditional methods of treatment in the 30 districts are forced to turn to modern medicine hospitals leaving Siddha or Ayurveda therapies provided they need a hospital stay of minimum one week or more for a complete cure for their ailments. The only facility available for Ayush systems in the 30 districts is the OP facilities that are attached to the district hospitals.
CTMR finds that all over Tamil Nadu there is only one Ayush hospital (Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani) with independent building which is located at Kadainallur in Thenkasi district. All the other Siddha hospitals are co-located with district hospitals of modern medicines. He said in rural areas, siddha clinics are attached to PHCs and out of the 1,600 primary health centers, only 750 have Siddha OPDs. In 200 centres, National Health Mission (NHM) sponsored doctors are working.
A Siddha doctor working in the southern part of the state said in anonymity that carelessness on the part of the ISM department coupled with apathy of the government is the reason for not developing the Ayush sector in Tamil Nadu. When asked whether the Ayush practitioners have apprised the government about the situation, he said several memoranda were given, but no benefit comes out despite repeated pressures.
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