AIIMS building in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here will shortly offer an integrated treatment facility that will be a combination of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy (Ayush) and allopathy.

“A separate building for Ayush is under construction. It will have provision for 30 beds,” AIIMS-Bhubaneswar director Ashok Mohapatra told The Telegraph today.

Mohapatra said two doctors — one each for ayurveda and homeopathy — would be recruited shortly.

“We are now unable to publish advertisement for the recruitment, since we do not know their service conditions. We have written to the Ayush department under the Union health ministry to inform us about the salary package and required qualification. As soon as we receive the reply, we will publish the advertisement,” he said.

The outdoor treatment at the Ayush wing is expected to start within two to three months, said Mohapatra. In July, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, during his visit to the state, had announced establishment of an integrated treatment facility for patients combining Ayush and allopathy at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. With introduction of the Ayush treatment system at AIIMS, the pressure on the allopathy wing will be eased, said the director.

“The Ayush doctors can take care of the minor ailments. Besides, with the use of traditional medicine, there will be lesser treatment cost and side effects,” he said.

At present, 26 services are available at AIIMS here. In future, 50 types of services will be available. The institute runs multidisciplinary specialty clinics such as sleep clinic, pain clinic, infertility clinic, lung cancer clinic, thalassemia clinic, retina clinic, glaucoma clinic, head and neck oncology clinic and orthodontic clinic.

In June, the institute had started family registration facility for cancer patients. Earlier, the hospital had launched e-transit pass, a smart card alternative, to the outdoor registration card. The bar-coded card with the patient’s name, gender and date of birth will keep the cardholder’s relevant health record stored in the hospital server. Medical history of a patient can be traced by the card — which could help doctors during the patient’s follow-up treatments. In June, the authorities had opened 48 new special cabins in the hospital, offering facilities such as central AC, freeze, TV, telephone and bed for attendant.

At present, the hospital has 200 beds and 68 doctors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate a 500-bed hospital in December.

When AIIMS-Bhubaneswar will be fully operational, it will have staff strength of more than 4,000, including a 310-strong faculty, 600 residents, 2,000 nurses and employees to support a 1,000-bed hospital. AIIMS-Bhubaneswar will also have a satellite campus at Balasore with 300 beds. The state government has identified about 25 acres adjacent to the national highway near Balasore for the hospital, which will be set up at a cost of Rs 300 crore.