IN A major decision, Allahabad University (AU) administration has decided to allow its teachers as well as non-teaching staff members to avail the Medicare facilities being extended by the varsity's very own dispensary. Earlier, only AU students were being treated by the doctors at the dispensary located near the AN Jha Hostel.
The varsity has also decided to almost double the dispensary's annual budget to allow it to cater to the expected rise in the number of patients coming for treatment and medicines.
Decisions in this regard were taken at the meeting of the AU Dispensary Committee held on Saturday.
Dean Student Welfare (DSW) Prof Jagdamba Singh, Finance Officer (FO) S Parabramaiah, Registrar Firdous A Wani, Proctor Prof Jata Shankar and varsity's Chief Medical Officer Dr SK Agarwal were present during the meeting.
"Realising the problems being faced by our teachers and non-teaching staff members in getting routine medical treatment, we have decided to let them also avail the facilities being extended by the AU Dispensary and which till now were restricted to just the students," informed DSW Prof Jagdamba Singh, who is also the convenor of the AU Dispensary Committee.
He said that the annual budget of the dispensary too is being hikes considerably. "Till now the annual budget was a mere Rs 4 lakh per annum. During the meeting it has been decided that the FO will sanction Rs 5 lakh immediately for the first quarter and more funds will be released thereafter as per need. We are planning to make the annual budget to some where around Rs 10 lakh so that all students and staff members who come to the dispensary for treatment can also be given the medicines they need," Prof Singh added.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the annual budget of the dispensary too is being hikes considerably. "Till now the annual budget was a mere Rs 4 lakh per annum. During the meeting it has been decided that the FO will sanction Rs 5 lakh immediately for the first quarter and more funds will be released thereafter as per need. We are planning to make the annual budget to some where around Rs 10 lakh so that all students and staff members who come to the dispensary for treatment can also be given the medicines they need," Prof Singh added.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the Dispensary located near the AN Jha Hostel at present has two part-time allopathic doctors and one homeopathic doctor besides the full-time CMO.
"The dispensary remains open from 8.30 am to 5 pm on all working days. Till a few years back, patients were even admitted for treatment but at present only outdoor services are being provided," he informed.
Prof Singh said ways to get some money being spent on providing the medical care to teachers, staff and the students reimbursed from the University Grants' Commission (UGC) too are being explored.
"We believe such a system exists in Hyderabad University and we will very much like to get that benefit for AU too. For the time being however, money spent on their treatment will be deducted from the salaries of the employees and modalities for this are being worked out," he added.
As for short-listing of private hospitals and nursing homes where the AU staff members can get treated and later also get the money spent by them reimbursed, Prof Singh said that a committee has been formed in this regard and the work will be completed very soon.