A herbal garden in the campus of a government community health centre at Panki situated over 45 kilometres away from Daltonganj town comes as a happy surprise since a government hospital is often viewed as a place where there is no cleanliness.

The herbal garden has both medicinal fruits and vegetables said Dr Mahender Kr Prasad, the medical officer in charge of the community health centre at Panki.

Known by his first name more among his patients and medical fraternity, Mahender said, “We have carved out a place in the community health centre where we grow gooseberry, mulberry, banana, papaya, guava, jack fruit, lemon, orange, chiku, ladies' fingers, leafy vegetables, etc.”

Last summer the team here made a good sale of ladies' fingers which the locals bought happily, informed Mahender.

He also said that the patients and their attendants are not allowed to enter the herbal garden and it is properly fenced with its gate under lock and key.

“Each one of us spends time to mend the garden. Weeding out of non-palatable grasses is done regularly. Many watch our garden and enjoy when they find luscious Chiku hanging out from the branches,” he added.

There is no fund for it and it is managed by the officials and the staff on campus.

Mahender also informed that there is a nearly 90-years-old Peepal tree (sacred fig) right in the campus of the government community health centre. “It is a great pride of all of us as it is our landmark,” he said.

A large number of local women come here in the morning for their pujas, which helps us keep our campus free of dirt and filth. This tree is also a rest house for a few hundred white herons that come here and spend their night only to fly away in the morning. Locally herons are called Bogola and these are as white as snow and many patients and attendants claim their sighting is very auspicious and patients recover fast said a civil society activist Mumtaz Ahmad Khan.

Mahender said, “This old Peepal tree once became 'sick' and its leaves began to rot and fall in great heaps. We found that this tree would soon become a lifeless stem only.” He sprayed a medical solution on the tree and it got out of the 'malaise'.

Mahender said no forest official whom they had approached tried to save the Peepal tree or send any help.

As he had an honours degree in Botany before embarking upon medical science courses he used his knowledge of Botany and helped save the Peepal tree.

Sources said the doctors and this tree are trusted alike here.

Civil surgeon Palamau John F Kennedy said, “Our medical team at this centre here at Panki puts in its best to serve the ailing people here.”