Meghalaya has a long history of traditional healing practices. What was missing was the recognition for traditional healers and a scientific validation of their practices. Research studies have shown that nearly 65% of people in Meghalaya still approach local health practitioners for their ailments. They find that more accessible and affordable than allopathic treatment. Unfortunately the traditional healing methods of the North Eastern states are not included in the Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) groups of healing practices. Attempts are now being made by the Khasi Hills District Council to get the local traditional healers recognised and also to integrate them with the government hospitals.
The efficacy of herbal medicine cannot be discounted. What is important is to identify the medicinal plants. Our ancestors had bequeathed a rich legacy of wisdom and also conserved the sources of healing by identifying some of the forests and groves as “sacred.” It is in these pristine forests where many of our medicinal herbs and plants continue to breed unhindered. But for how long? The rate at which our forests are being felled could result in the loss of some rare species of plants and herbs. Taxus Baccata a tree whose bark is known for its anti-cancer properties used to grow profusely in Meghalaya but is now nearly extinct. Other lesser known herbs and roots known for their efficacious healing properties are also fast disappearing. Unless these herbs are meticulously identified and their healing properties documented we will become a poorer society. The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Bio-chemistry department has begun the task of documentation of medicinal plants but there is still a lot of work left to be done. Government initiatives in this regard are imperative. Traditional healers too must be given their place in the sun. If allopathic medicine is highly regarded despite adverse reactions we have to give alternative medicine an equal chance.