more-in Residents of the capital city can now avail both allopathic and ayurvedic healthcare under the same roof during pregnancy and childbirth, with the Government Ayurveda College Hospital for Women and Children at Poojappura equipped with a brand new labour room and surgery theatre. With the new facilities inaugurated earlier this month, it has become the first ayurvedic hospital in the State where Caesarian sections can be conducted, according to the authorities. Up to four deliveries can be conducted simultaneously in the new labour room, equipped with latest technologies such as medical gas. Dwindling figures The hospital, which saw around 500 deliveries a year in the 1990s, has seen a gradual decline in deliveries since 2000. Over the last few years, the number has come down to just five to ten a year. It was the obsolescence of the labour room infrastructure, which had not undergone any modification after the hospital was set up in 1955, that led to this fall, says N. Vijayakumar, Superintendent. The District Medical Officer was alerted regarding this situation in 2014, following which the State government allocated ?1.13 crore for a new labour room. The work was executed by HLL Lifecare Limited. Medicines’ side-effects The hospital is unique in that it offers both allopathic and ayurvedic treatment, depending on the need of the patient. This is beneficial for pregnant women, according to Dr. Vijayakumar, as certain allopathic medicine may have side-effects that may affect the foetus adversely. In such instances, the allopathic doctors at the hospital refer them to the ayurvedic doctors there. Another advantage is traditional post-natal care using herbal medicines and oils, for which there is no provision in allopathic medicine. At present, the hospital has four allopathic doctors, including two gynaecologists, a paediatrician and a general medicine practitioner, and six ayurvedic doctors. The hospital also has special clinics for infertility, development disabilities and autism, apart from offering treatment of diseases such as Polycystic ovarian disease and Endometriosis.

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