Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar

Kashmir has a history of generations of Pirs known as Hakems treating various diseases using locally-grown herbs and medicinal plants. Even as the practice has diminished with the popularity of Allopathy, the people continue to visit a Hakem (wise man administering treatment) as they trust him with a panacea for common and not-so-common ailments.

“This system of medicines is not an alternative to the allopathic treatment, but provides a lifestyle treatment for the patients”, said Dr. Mohammad Farooq Naqshbandi, Medical Superintendent of the first major Government Unani Hospital, Srinagar.

Speaking with Awaz-the Voice at the hospital, he said that “this system can be the best solution and provide the best treatment of various common lifestyle related disease such as Diabetes, Hypertension, and Obesity, etc. AYUSH system has its approach to treatment and we individualize the treatment based on the patient’s temperament”.  

“After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a resurgence of AYUSH type of treatment all over the world, because it was felt somewhere that allopathy could not provide adequate immunity against Covid.  People looked for other medicines from the AYUSH system to combat the Covid infection”, Dr Naqshbandi said.

“This system has natural remedies, which boosts the immune system of the patient. In the general population, it was recognized that the use of this medicine can be the best solution for prevention and control of Covid-induced infections”. 

He pointed out that with the Covid-19 pandemic, “the AYUSH has come under the limelight.”

Srinagar Unani Hospital

According to Dr Naqshbandi, the world today is “witnessing a huge population of patients suffering with diseases related to their lifestyles like cardio-vascular, Diabetes and Hypertension. In AYUSH not only certain herbs have been mentioned for the treatment of various diseases but there are also regimes of treatment like Panchkarma, Ilaj-Bil-Tadbeer, Hijamat (Cupping), and other sections under its umbrella.”

Dr Naqshbandi, says the people have “once again started using these medicines for day-to-day ailments”. He said that Kashmir valley is rich in herbs and medicinal plants. People in rural areas are “mostly using these herbs for treating many common diseases”.

Further, “A few families of Hakeems carry on the legacy of herbal treatment for patients even today”, Dr. Naqshbandi said.

Dr Mohammad Farooq Naqshbandi, who has done doctoral research on cancer treatment, was appointed as head of the Unani Hospital three years ago. He defended his PhD thesis in 2020 from the Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Unani medicine with its origin in ancient Greece is one of the Indian System of Medicines (ISM), and part of the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) created by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2003. The 50-bedded Government Unani Hospital at Shalteng, on the outskirts of Srinagar was augmented and inaugurated on December 17, 2003. Later it was associated with the first Government Unani Medical College and Hospital, Ganderbal, Kashmir, established in 2011, which began its OPD facilities in 2019.

Patients waiting for their turn in Unani hospital

The Government Unani Hospital, Srinagar, is the only tertiary care hospital functioning in J&K associated with the Govt Unani Medical College, Ganderbal, which gets referral patients from different Health (Unani) Centres for “specialized treatment.  

It is equipped with modern diagnostic facilities like X-ray, ECG, USG, and Laboratory. A regimental Section for male and female patients is also available in the hospital, where patients are getting different services like Cupping, Hammam (bath), full body massage, etc, and other facilities like Leeching and Venesection, which are performed by specialized doctors.

A brigade of 25 specialized doctors is providing treatment to 400 to 500 patients daily, drawn from mostly rural areas. It has also an IPD, which provides treatment for muscular-skeletal disorders, Diabetes, etc. It has also a separate section for surgeries like hemorrhoids and anal fissures.

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During the last few years, the hospital has seen a growing number of patients, mostly drawn from rural areas. The practice of traditional practitioners in Unani medicine has been attracting more patients to the Unani (AYUSH) system for the treatment of common ailments, with the belief that it has the least chance of side effects of the chemicals.