Traditional healers in North India: a study.

PIP: The study objective was to determine the role of indigenous medicine practitioners in providing medical care to the people and to identify factors influencing continuity of their practice. 64 registered indigenous medicine practitioners were practicing in a Community Development Block in North India with a total population of 18,000. Only 9 or them were fully institutionally qualified, i.e., they possessed an ayurvedic degree like GAMS or BIMS. Of the remainder, only 10 were partially institutionally qualified, i.e., they had either a diploma or a certificate in ayurvedic or Unani medicine and the remaining 45 were all noninstitutionally qualified (RIMPS). The 45 had no formal training in indigenous medicine, but they all had served apprenticeships to established practitioners in different areas. The duration of apprenticeship had generally been 4-5 years. 44 of them were practicing both allopathic and ayurvedic systems of medicine. The value of the stock of drugs maintained by them ranged from Rs. 500-2500. Except for 3, all were engaged in full time practice. As most of the RIMPs had their clinics on the main roads, they were easily accessible to their clients. Nearly 3/4 of them had nonresidential clinics, and the rest practiced in their own homes. Most of them had only 1 room clinics. Furnishings usually included a wooden table and chair and a couple of benches for waiting clients. The following were among the study findings: cosmopolitan medicine was still favored by a majority of the rural people; the traditional healers were approached more for the treatment of chronic nonincapacitating dysfunctions rather than critical incapacitating dysfunctions; some traditional healers made claims of curing barrenness, impotency, veneral disease, and certain chronic diseases; the traditional healers moved from 1 place to another in the course of their training and practice; most of them stayed in touch with doctors practicing in towns to acquire knowledge of new remedies; all kinds of elements of cosmopolitan medicine were incorporated into the traditional system of medicine; they maintained constant liaison with traditional birth attendants who practiced protective medicine; considerably less ill health reached the attention of a primary health center doctor than that of his/her traditional counterpart; the traditional healers frequently fulfilled more than 1 role, using supernatural methods as well as herbs; and the traditional healers took care of the medical needs of nearly 3/4 of the total population of the block.^ieng