Unhappy over the way the Unani way of medication is being treated under the PM Modi-led government, the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (AIUTC) demanded a proper representation of Unani in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) so to help the traditional Indian way of medication survive further and serve the people in future.
Urging the central government for a necessary amendment in the NCISM act, the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (AIUTC) demanded proper representation to Unani in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) to help the ancient Indian way of medication survive and serve in future.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 19, Prof. Mushtaq Ahmed, the National President of All India Unani Tibbi Congress (AIUTC) said, “ Government of India introduced National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) under NCISM Act 2020 simply by scrapping the Central Council Of Indian Medicine. Unfortunately, no representation was given to the Unani in NCISM which led to forming annoyance among the professionals associated with the unani.”
The letter also claimed that no separate board has been formed for the Unani as witnessed in Ayurveda’s case, and the oldest way of medication was clubbed with the locally famous Siddha and Suvarigoppa which are less popular when compared to Unani medicines. “This is even though the Unani is a traditional way of medication and is being practised on par with the Ayurveda throughout the country,” read the letter.
Unani medicine, also called Unani tibb, Arabian medicine, or Islamic medicine. It is a traditional system of healing and health maintenance observed in South Asia. The origins of Unani medicine are found in the doctrines of the ancient Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen. As a field, it was later developed and refined through systematic experimentation by the Arabs, most prominently by Muslim scholar-physician Avicenna.
Further, the history of Unani medicine can be characterized by the work of its practitioners, or hakims, who relied on natural healing based on principles of harmony and balance, uniting the physical, mental, and spiritual realms.
“Formation of four autonomous boards have been announced under NCISM, however, Unani was subjected to discrimination although it is serving the people through 60 colleges, 100 hospitals and almost 1500 dispensaries across the country,” argued Prof.Mushtaq Ahmed.