Tibb-e-Unani took medical care to common man, says Vice President Ansari

NEW DELHI - Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said the Tibb-e-Unani evolved in India with the addition of numerous native drugs to its system, taking medical care to the common man.

Delivering inaugural address at the 18th General Session of All India Unani Tibbi Conference here today, Vice President Ansari said Hakim Ajmal Khan’s immense contribution to the multi-pronged development of Unani and Ayurveda was carried forward by others like Hakim Abdul Hameed Saheb, who was instrumental in the modernization of the Unani drug industry.

“I am happy to be here today to inaugurate the All India Tibb Conference. For over a hundred years this organization, founded by Hakim Ajmal Khan Saheb, has worked tirelessly for the development of Unani and Ayurvedic systems of Indian medicine and for obtaining due recognition for them in the health set-up of the country,” said Vice President Ansari.

“I confess to this learned audience that my own acquaintance with the subject is limited to ancestral legend from some of the elders in the family who attained name and fame in the practice of this ancient calling,” he added.

The Vice President said that today’s resurgence of public and global interest in holistic health care bodes well for Unani.

“Traditional systems of medicine are particularly effective in management of chronic lifestyle related non-communicable and systemic diseases. With our strong foundation in Allopathy and keeping in view our indigenous systems, we have the potential to emerge as a global leader in integrative medicine,” he said.

Vice President Ansari further said that as an integral element of the National Health Policy, Unani medicine has over 46,000 registered medical practitioners, over 950 dispensaries and 300 hospitals.

“With 40 undergraduate colleges and 8 post graduate colleges, we have formal institutions for teaching though lack of formal accredited programmes for training of paramedics is a constraint. There are over 320 manufacturing units producing Unani medicines and the government is evolving uniform standards for preparing Unani drugs,” said Vice President Ansari.

“The declining popularity today of Unani system of medicine among the Indian public is undeniable. Responsibility for this, perhaps, is to be shared equally amongst all stake holders,” he added.

The Vice President further said strengthening the Unani and other systems of Indian medicine has focused on two broad approaches.

“The first emphasizes the core areas of education, research, industry and medicinal plants. The second approach, as enunciated in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, has added four important dimensions: mainstreaming Unani and other systems of Indian medicine in public health; technological upgradation of related industry; assistance to Centres of excellence in these systems of medicine; and revitalization and validation of community-based local health traditions of Unani and other systems of Indian medicine,” he added.

Vice President Ansari said during the last few years, there have been ongoing efforts to integrate Unani and other systems of Indian medicine in the National Rural Health Mission despite differences in scheme of diagnosis, drug requirements and treatments.

“Such efforts have included co-location of dispensaries of Unani and other systems of Indian medicine in Primary Health Centres and appointment of doctors and paramedics therein, and establishment of specialty clinics and therapy centres in district hospitals,” he added. (ANI)