New Delhi: The National President of All India Unani Pathy Forum, Hakeem S.P. Bhatnagar, has written a letter to the Union Government’s AYUSH Department, urging an end to the ongoing discrimination against Unani Medicine. He emphasised that Unani medicine is an integral part of the AYUSH system and enjoys widespread popularity across India, much like Ayurveda. However, despite this, state governments appoint only NHM and Homeopathy doctors under the AYUSH category, as state authorities explicitly issue advertisements solely for Ayurveda and Homeopathy practitioners. Recent examples of this bias can be seen in the northeastern states, Gujarat and West Bengal.
Similarly, an AYUSH Wellness Centre has been established in the Supreme Court, yet Unani Medicine has not been included therein, which is unfortunate. In contrast, the AYUSH Wellness Centre at Rashtrapati Bhavan has successfully integrated Unani, Ayurveda, and Homeopathy for years. The same issue exists with CGHS Unani dispensaries, as not a single new Unani dispensary has been established for several years, whereas over 50 Ayurveda dispensaries have been set up during the same period.
Dr. Bhatnagar has urged the Central AYUSH Department to promote Unani Medicine on par with Ayurveda. He also reminded them that India’s first integrated medical college was established a hundred years ago by Hakeem Ajmal Khan in New Delhi under the name Ayurveda and Unani Tibbia College, setting a strong precedent for the equal development of Ayurveda and Unani medicine.
