Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to get 3 AYUSH Hospitals, 37 dispensaries under expansion plan

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: AYUSH healthcare services in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are set for major expansion, with plans to establish three 30-bed hospitals and 37 new dispensaries to improve access to traditional systems of medicine, particularly in rural areas.

According to district AYUSH officer Dr Shaikh Shakeel, the three hospitals will be set up at the taluka headquarters of Paithan, Phulambri and Khultabad. A total of Rs 9 crore has been sanctioned for these hospitals, while financial support for the remaining proposed facilities will be mobilised through Central Government schemes, according to TOI.

At present, the district has six Unani and four Ayurveda healthcare centres. As part of the expansion plan, satellite AYUSH dispensaries will also be introduced. These units will operate within a 15-km radius of existing AYUSH facilities and will deliver healthcare services periodically from spaces provided by gram panchayats.

Officials said the initiative is expected to improve the availability of AYUSH treatment in villages that currently have limited access to such services.

The proposed facilities will include a balanced distribution of AYUSH systems. Around 40% of the new centres will offer Ayurveda services, another 40% will focus on Unani, while the remaining 20% will provide Homoeopathy care.

In addition to the proposed hospitals and dispensaries, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has also been identified for a 50-bed district AYUSH hospital under the Centre's policy. Dr Shakeel said the district administration has already submitted a proposal to the Maharashtra government seeking land allocation for the project.

He added that suitable land is currently being identified and expressed hope that the required formalities would be completed soon. According to the district AYUSH officer, several districts in Maharashtra have already operationalised district-level AYUSH hospitals, and the proposed facility in Sambhajinagar is expected to further strengthen the district's AYUSH healthcare network once approved.