HILLONG: The scarcity of valuable herbs is attributed to the increase in population and human activities, observed the traditional healers of the State while emphasizing on the urgent need for the Government to enhance support for natural herbal nursery and plantation around the village forest, clan forest, sacred forest, private forest and community forest.
Participating in the open session of the ongoing training program on Malaria and how to take up preventive steps necessary to control the spread of Malaria in the Dorbar Hall of Lumdaitkhla, Bhoirymbong, Ri Bhoi district on Saturday, the healers expressed their anguish as to the scarcity of valuable herbs largely due to increase in population and the human activities, and hoped that the village chiefs to discuss this matter at the village level.
The programme which was organised by Futures Group International India Pvt Ltd, (Caritas-India), in collaboration with the health department and the Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practices (SPIKAP), saw the participation of over 35 selected traditional private health care service providers in Umroi area, Ri-Bhoi District, comprising of traditional village healers and birth attendants from 13 villages in Ri Bhoi district.
The healers expressed their keen interest in collaborating with the Health Dept, in the areas of health care for the benefit of the people in the remote rural areas, especially on the issue of Malaria which is still prevalent in the Ri-Bhoi areas.
Addressing the traditional indigenous village healers of Umroi area, Co-Chairman of the Meghalaya State Planning Board, & Chairman of SPIKAP, John F Kharshiing stated that there is urgent need for the Village Chiefs to discuss availability of herbs in the Village Dorbar Shnong, and to have interactions with the traditional village healers, bone setters and birth attendants who compliment health care in the rural areas.
“There is urgent need for the Government to enhance support for natural herbal nursery and plantation around the village forest, clan forest, sacred forest, private forest and community forest, in view of the report of scarcity of the medicinal herbs faced by the traditional healers in Umroi Area. Steps must be taken now less they become extinct and unavailable for future generation,” Kharshiing said.