TRICHY: The establishment of wellness clinics for Ayurvedha, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy (ASUH) as well as yoga and naturopathy (Y&N) has failed to serve its purpose at four places in Trichy region. Inaugurated in November last year under the centrally-sponsored scheme, the clinics have been functioning without doctors, therapeutic assistants and pharmacists for the past seven months.Being a project under National AYUSH mission, the wellness clinics were inaugurated for Siddha at three places - government non-taluk hospital in Omandhur in Trichy, primary health centre at Athiyur in Perambalur and primary health centre at Peruvalappur in Trichy and for yoga and naturopathy at government taluk hospital in Lalgudi. The clinics were the four among 22 wellness clinics allotted for Tamil Nadu.Six months have passed but the wellness clinics remain an ordinary centre without manpower and equipment. The concept of wellness centre for siddha is to provide specialised treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - hypertension, disease, obesity, heart diseases and all types of cancers. The treatment would include external therapies. Yoga and naturopathy wellness centre is aimed at working on prevention of all kinds of diseases and providing treatment.As for wellness centre for siddha, the ministry of AYUSH allotted Rs 6 lakhs per annum for hiring doctor/consultant for Rs 1,000 per day, attender for Rs 150 per day, medicines for Rs 1,65,000 and equipment and furniture for Rs 60,000.The sanctioned amount for the wellness centre for yoga and naturopathy was higher than the fund allotted for the siddha wellness centres. Unlike the siddha centres, yoga and naturopathy wellness clinics have been allowed to hire male therapeutic assistant and female therapeutic assistant for Rs 375 a day each in addition to doctor and attender and to buy medicine. They can also procure equipment for Rs 2 lakhs and furniture for Rs 1 lakh. Interestingly, AYUSH ministry sanctioned Rs 2.70 lakhs for procuring herbal powders, honey for wellness clinics for yoga and naturopathy which acts on the basic principle of 'treatment without medicine'.Despite being sanctioned by the AYUSH ministry and approved by the commissioner of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, Chennai, none of the posts has been filled and the facilities not created till now. The wellness clinics should function for six hours a day for six days a week. However, the officials concerned depute the doctors from regular practice at government AYUSH centres to the wellness clinics to run the show for namesake.Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical Officers Association (TANSMOA) insisted on appointing doctors and creating posts for pharmacists at wellness clinics. "The appointment of doctors and procurement of medicine for the wellness clinic as per the order would fulfill the purpose of the clinic. Further, we request the government to create the post of pharmacists in the siddha wellness clinics as it would be difficult for the doctors to issue medicine to the patients," state secretary of TANSMOA Dr B Thamizhkkani told TOI.

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