– Anwarulhaq Baig
New Delhi, September 28: Expressing dismay at the deplorable attitude of state governments towards Unani medicine, the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (AIUTC) has called on states to formulate a comprehensive plan for the promotion and development of this system of medicine on the lines of the Union government.
Referring to the status report on the steps taken by the states for Unani medicine, AIUTC National Organizing Secretary Dr. D.R. Singh has highlighted the biased attitude of state governments towards this system of medicine. He underlined the dire state of Unani medicine particularly in Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
According to Dr Singh, these states display a high degree of negligence, and they do not even give a sensible response to letters and memorandums.
Citing specific instances of discriminatory treatment, Dr Singh revealed that in Assam, the registration of Unani doctors with the State Indian Medicine Board was suspended. According to him, despite the AIUTC sending letters to the Chief Minister regarding this matter, no action has been taken so far.
Speaking about the worsening state of the AYUSH Department in Delhi, Dr Singh said, “Elections for the post of Director for Delhi Bharatiya Chikitsa Parishad under AYUSH have not been conducted for several years, and the appointment of a Deputy Director for Unani medicine is still uncertain.”
Expressing shock at the suspension of construction work at the Government Unani Medical College in Kaliyar Sharif, Uttarakhand, Dr Singh pointed out that the state currently has as many as 19 Ayurvedic colleges and one Ayurvedic university, yet it failed to accommodate even a single Unani college, which he described as high narrow-mindedness.
According to Dr Singh, the appointment of Unani doctors in Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh has been on hold for the past two decades. He revealed that even under the Central Government scheme, those states appointed only Ayurvedic doctors or very few homoeopathic practitioners under the AYUSH programme.
The AIUTC National Secretary cautioned that the biased attitude of the current officers in the Ayush Department of those mentioned states posed a significant threat to the existence of Unani medicine at the government level, which he described as extremely worrisome.
However, he added, “Unani medicine is an affordable, effective and scientific method of treatment trusted by people. Therefore, state governments should immediately focus on its promotion and development.”
