The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Cafeteria approach” to offer patients treatment options in hospitals

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Thursday, Jul 03, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

“Cafeteria approach” to offer patients treatment options in hospitals

Ramya Kannan and Shastry Mallady

Speciality clinics will be established in 134 primary health centres in the State

To be funded by Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
Each PHC allotted Rs.10 lakh for constructing buildings and providing equipment and medicines

CHENNAI/MADURAI: Imagine going to a hospital and being able to choose the system of medicine you want to be treated with. It may just be possible in the near future in Tamil Nadu, with the State government trying to adopt a “cafeteria approach” to healthcare.

Besides allopathy, speciality clinics will be set up in 134 primary health centres in the State to provide patients with a range of treatment options in the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM). The project will be funded by the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).

A sum of Rs. 13.40 crore has been allotted for establishing the clinics that will provide a one-stop shop for Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy and Homeopathy treatment. “The idea is to mainstream the AYUSH system. We intend giving the patient a choice in treatment options, as the same hospital that provides allopathy treatment will now have specialists in each of the traditional systems of medicines. The patient can prefer the system he has faith in,” G.A. Rajkumar, Special Commissioner, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, told The Hindu. He terms this the “cafeteria approach” to public health.

Of the 1,434 primary health centres in the State, 469 have an Indian system of medicine wing, Mr. Rajkumar said, and from among them, 134 have been chosen to set up speciality clinics. The Indian system of medicine wings are also functioning in four major hospitals, 19 medical college hospitals and 61 district headquarters hospitals.

Each primary health centre has been allotted an average of Rs.10 lakh for constructing buildings and providing equipment and medicines, and for general expenditure. The districts that will benefit include Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Vellore, Thanjavur, Kanyakumari, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga and Tiruvarur. “This is just the beginning. By 2014, all PHCs and taluk and district hospitals will be equipped with speciality clinics,” Mr. Rajkumar said. “The cafeteria model is accepted internationally as a public health delivery system. The idea is to offer all services in one place,” S. Elango, Director of Public Health, said. Siddha, which had its origins in Tamil Nadu, seemed popular in the State. Going by the figures thrown up by the Varumun Kappom Thittam or preventive health camps, 6,56,110 patients had chosen Siddha treatment, and the total amount spent on Siddha medicines alone in these camps stood at Rs. 61,58,907 till June 13.

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