The 60-bed Government Ayurvedic Hospital at Erragada in Hyderabad has been functioning without any sanctioned staff including doctors, nurses and attenders for several months now. Patient care, diagnosis, treatment, house keeping, cleaning, washing and cooking are done by the staff of the hospital's research department and personnel drafted from other institutions.

However, the present staff strength of 59, including class IV workers, is not sufficient and it needs at least 90 personnel. There are only seven doctors drafted from elsewhere and the in-charge superintendent of the hospital is also an officer from the research department.

The hospital has one ward each for males and females, a mini operation theatre and also specialised services for ophthalmology, ENT, physiotherapy and surgery.

A majority of the patients who come to the hospital are paralysis patients who are immobile and need help even to go to the toilet, according to in-charge superintendent, Dr Shyam Sunder.

Though professors and post-graduate students from the Ayurvedic College located on the campus frequent the hospital, they are only concerned with practical and clinical tests related to their subjects.