M.USAMA MANSOOR

Indigenous Health System in Pakistan

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What is Health?

Health is a state of complete

Physical

Mental

& Social Wellbeing

& not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

WHO defines Health as

What is System?

A set of principles orprocedures according to which something is done

an organized schemeor

method

"a multiparty system of government"

What is Health System?

A health system, also sometimes referred to as health care system or healthcare system is

The organization of people

Institutions

&

Resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations

According to WHO

A health system consists of all organizations

people and actions whose primary intent is to promote

This includes efforts to influence determinants of health as well as more direct health-improving activities

A health system is therefore more than the pyramid of publicly owned facilities that deliver personal health services

It includes

For exampleA mother caring for a sick child at home

Private providers

Behaviour change programmes

Vector-control campaigns

Health insurance organizations

Occupational health and safety legislation

It includes inter-sectorial action by health staff

For example

Encouraging the ministry of education to promote female education

A well-known determinant of better health

What is Indigenous Health System?

Indigenous Health System refers

A system that encompases of using ancient methods of curing a disease

For Example

To cure a person from Flu hakeems advised to take one table spoon of Lauk-e-Spistan thrice a day

History of Pre Indigenous Health System in Pakistan

The history of Pre Indigenous health system begins with

The migration of different civilizations in subcontinent

Use of different techniques for medication goes back to earlier settlers

The use of herbs to cure different diseases start as early as 7000 BCE

Aryan tribe was one of the earlier settlers in the subcontinent

Both ailments physical and mental were used to be treated through

Different ceremonies

Attractions

Songs

Medicines and Surgical invention

Different religions like

Jainism

Buddhism

Islam

&

Hinduism

Talk about techniques use to cure diseases

In Qur’an different things are mentioned to cure different disease such as,

Nigella Seeds which are used to treat cardiac patients, constipation and many other diseases

Indigenous Health System in Jainism

In Jainism Garuda is the name used for yoga of self-discipline and discipline of mind

Body and speech

So that even earth

Water

Fire and air

Can come under one’s control

Buddhism Buddha is the doctor

Knowledge of the Dharma is the medicine

Monastic as the nursing staff

And all people as the patients

According to this medical analogy

Buddhism is considered a medication with a broad meaning

medication that can cure the ailments in all aspects of life

Indigenous Health System in Hinduism

Archaic Hindu Medicine in its earliest context is found mostly in

The hymns of Atharva Veda

And the Vedic term ‘beshhaja’, used to donate medicinal charms

Which occurs also in Avesta as baesazya

It is a ‘psychosomatic’ approach to healing a part of philosophical system

History Indigenous Health System in Pakistan

Pakistan became an independent state

Most of the population that migrated to Pakistan was associated with the profession of agriculture

Despite growing regular crops they also grew herbs

Fever

Influenza

Because they were familiar with their use for different treatments such as,

Hepatites,etc.

Because they were at home in treating people with different diseases using the herbs

They were declared as,

Hakeem

This is how profession of Hikmat emerged in Pakistan

Household Treatment is another type indigenous treatment being popular in Pakistani rural areas

The elders of the house were considered as experts

They use to tell different tips to cure diseases

If a child is suffering from ear pain

They will advise to fry the clove in Mustard oil

And fill the effected ear with warm mustard oil

For Example

Games were a source of rejoicement in Pakistan at the time of independence

The games that were played in Pakistan mainly include

Hockey

Horse Riding

Wrestling and Gully rod

In the rural and urban areas there were many wrestling rings

Different wrestling matches were organized at that time

For this wrestlers have to drill regularly

Through these drills they became familiar with the formation of body structure

It was this knowledge that enables them to manipulate a bone

Not only they manipulate a bone but also they were able to provide treatment to the patient with inflammation of muscles and joints pain

For Example

They provide an oil of Ratan Jog for the treatment of Joint pains to their patients

Before independence there was Hinduism and other religions that were practiced at large

But after the evaded by Muhammad Bin Qasim Islam has entered the subcontinent and Sindh was declared Babul Islam

When the Sufi’s entered the subcontinent many people started switching to Islam

The main Sufi’s of the subcontinent includes,

Data Sahib

Musa Pak

Lal Shehbaz Qalendar

Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai and many more

The affiliation of their disciples was so strong that they for each their single wish visit their shrines

It was practiced without visiting shrines as, If Allah will fulfil my desire I will offer prayers five times a day at mosque

And

Promise that if their desire will be fulfilled they will provide food to the desiples present at the shrine

Mostly Pakistani’s while working at their farms was habitual of becoming victim of snakebite

At that time the people who were responsible for treating the patients with snakebite was Jogis

Jogi is people that have an art to caught snakes. They take out the poison from the body of the affected by using Prickly Gem, Snow Hail and herbs

Astrologist was there in large number

And many village people visits them because of their illiteracy

And strong belief on them regularly to know about their future and how they can overcome to the evils, diseases they will face in future

The Astrologist use asks them about their

Birth date

City of birth

And mother name

Then predicts the future of a person

Similarly if a person has fallen ill

And he visited an Astrologist

He will diagnose that you fall ill because there is the dark shadow of a person on you

If you have to avoid this shadow you have to follow my instructions

Palmist was another source of treatment for the people of Pakistan

Many villager and citizens use to visit palmist to know about their future and ailment and how it can be cure using holy beliefs

These palmists than judge the illness by studying the lines of hand and suggest the treatment though holy book

Among many other indigenous treatment one was Spiritual treatment

It was performed by spiritual persons

They used to treat a patient in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah

Mainly they used to treat the patients with mental disease such as,

Insomnia

Shizrophenea

Paranoia, etc

They perform their treatment at Mausoleum

Types of Indigenous Treatments in Pakistan

Following are the types of indigenous Treaters in Pakistan

•Bone Setter

•Sufi

•Palmist

• Astrologist

•Jogi

•Spiritual Leader

• Herbal Medication

•Household Treatment

Bone Setter

A bonesetter is a practitioner of joint manipulation

Before the introduction of the allopathic treatment of bone

The main source to treat a person with fracture was bonesetters

These bone setters were at home in joining the fractured part of the body

They also provide the treatment for the joints and muscle pain

These bonesetters were mainly the wrestlers

They were the one who was most familiar with the bone formation as they use to drill and while wrestling they use to touch the different part of the body

Through which they became at home in treating the patient with

Fracture

Joint pain

These bonesetters were found in large number in Gujranwala and its suburbs

Even now bonesetters practice in the few areas of Pakistan which includes Lahore

Sufi

Sufi is religious personalities that were close to Allah and were the main source to enlighten the key points of Qur’an and Sunnah

Many disciples were attached with them

When any family member of disciple fall ill they use to appear in front of Sufi

These Sufi’s perform tails and blessing for different diseases such as,

Fever

Cancer

Ulcers,etc

Even when they demise from the world and their shrine are built

Their disciples visit their shrines regularly and what so ever they beg beside the shrine of the Sufi they make promises that if they will be cured from their diseases they will provide

Food to the disciples present at shrine

Built mosque

Help a needy

Pray nafals, etc

Even today thousands of deciples visit Shrines for the fulfilment of their desires

For Example

Smallpox is common in Pakistan in children

Many disciples whom children have small pox use to visit shrines and beg for the betterment of health of their child

They tie thread in the grid of the tree

Promise they will fulfil the need of the needy

Provide food to dispel of the shrine

Provide household things to a poor

Palmist

Palmist is a person who was at home in reading the fate line

He uses to describe the future to a person

These palmists than describe the future along with the reason why they are

Facing hardships

Ailments and show them a way to get rid of them

Along with Islam many religions were practised in the subcontinent

Before the independence of Pakistan Hindu’s and Muslims were living together they follow many traditions

One of the traditions was showing hand to a Palmist

Even today many people have firm belief on these palmist commonly known as, ‘amil’

These palmists are mainly found in the rural areas of

Punjab

Sindh

KPK

and Baluchistan

Mainly palmists are practising in the urban areas of Pakistan

They treat different diseases by reading the fate line

Mainly they treat the mental diseases such as,

Shizrophenea

Paranoia

Insomnia, etc

These palmists are

Bengali Baba

Sadiq Malik

Ali Baba

Astrologist

Astrologist is a person that treats the patient using the knowledge of stars

i.e.

Scorpio

Virgo

Leo

Gemini

Cancer

Capricorn, etc

All they require is

Date of birth

Place of birth

And name of mother

They treat them be warning them the time of hardship and tactics to overcome the diseases

For example

Virgo is said

To govern the hands

Spleen and central nervous system

Intestines

Abdomen

Illnesses to which its natives are prone include

Catarrh

Cold

Coughs

Pleurisies

Pneumonia and nervous instabilities

Their natures make them inclined to worry and this makes them vulnerable to stomach and bowel troubles, including colic and ulcers

Both sexes are strongly interested in

Drugs and esoteric cuisine

Male Virgoans may have trouble with their sexual organs

As their delicate stomachs require them to be careful about their diet

It is essential that they treat their fascination with exotic food with extreme care

The main astrologists in the Pakistan are,

Mian Naeem

Naseeb Hassan Shah

Liaqat Sabtain, etc

Mamu

Syed Azim Jaffery

Spiritual Leader

A person that treat the patient in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah

Mainly they treat the

Cardiac patient

Patients with mental disorders

such as,

Shizrophenea

Paranoia

Insomnia

For the treatment of cardiac patient with closed arteries they advise to use

One cup lemon juice

One cup ginger juice

Stir them in a in a pot on light heat for half an hour

One cup apple vinegar

Three table spoon every day

Take this solution with an empty stomach

Cool it then add three cups honey

Most of these spiritual leaders are Sufi’s

They are attached to this profession from their forefathers like,

Peer Syed Gillani Sahib

Syed Sultan Akbar Ali Shah

Chotey Peer Sahib

Many rural people have firm belief on them

Herbal Medication

Most of the people in Pakistan are associated with the profession of agriculture

They use to grow different crops such as,

Cotton

Rice

Wheat

Sugarcane

Vegetables, etc

Along with these crops many herbs were grown

Whenever they fall ill they harvest them and use them for the treatment of different diseases

Like

Typhoid Fever

Fever

Stomach ache

Loose stools, etc

The use of honey for cough with ginger juice

Use for corn’s hair for kidney and many more

The person that is associated with this profession is called Hakim

They have made their Dawakhana’s

Most of them are very famous like,

Hamdard Dawakhana

Qarshi Dawakhana

Dawakhana Hakim Suleman Khan, etc.

Household Treatment

Household Treatment is another type aboriginal treatment being general in Pakistani rural areas

The chiefs of the family were well-thought-out as specialists

They use to tell different tips to remedy diseases

Fill the effected ear with warm mustard oil

For Example

If a child is suffering from ear pain

They will advise to fry the clove in Mustard oil

They will advise to fry the clove in Mustard oil

Jogi

Jogi is person that has an art to caught snakes

They take out the poison from the body of the affected by using

Prickly Gem

Snow Hail and herbs

Mostly Pakistani’s while operational at their homesteads was customary of becoming prey of snakebite

At that phase the creature who was liable for handling the patients with snakebite was Jogis

Conclusion

The poverty in the Pakistan is approx. 66%

Most of the population lives in the rural areas

As the modern health system is expensive

There is a need to overcome the weaknesses in the health system of Pakistan

Which includes the above mentioned mode of treatment

They prefer indigenous health treatment

There is a need to revisit the health policy being run in Pakistan

So that the poor unhealthy people can rejoice their lives fruitfully