SHILLONG: With the richness of medicinal herbs and plants, the state can boast to have one of the best traditional wellness and healthcare systems in the country and the world.
This was said by Minister for Health and Family Welfare, A L Hek on the concluding day of the two day capacity building and awareness programme for the traditional healers of the State on Friday at U Soso Tham Auditorium.
He called upon the people to protect and preserve the bio resources of the State to ensure the continuance of traditional healing services.
He also felt that the awareness programmes on scientific method of preparing medicines and treatment is necessary and that the healthcare sector has to be organised.
Hek also stressed that the skills and knowledge of the healers need to be passed on to the future generation so that the legacy continues.
At the programme kits and tools were distributed to the traditional healers drawn from across the State.
The programme was organized by the Bio-Resources Development Centre, Government of Meghalaya under the project ”Support to the Traditional Healers for Strengthening and Capacity Building” and funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India under Article 275(1).
Adviser, Quality Council of India (QCI), New Delhi, D Roy informed that QCI is a premier organisation setup by the Government of India under the Ministry of Commerce to look into the promotion of quality of standards.
She also informed that the North East Christian University (NECU) received the approval to do the certification of traditional healers of the State. She said that by certification and through established criteria of standards, traditional healers can avail the government schemes to further their profession.
A traditional healer, Dlas Rani from Mawryngkneng told reporters that the state government should recognized the traditional healers and license for the traditional healers is like a double edged sword.
As for the commission created by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Khasi Traditional Medicine Commission is fruitless.
“It has been one year that no meeting has been called although Rs 2000 was given for each meeting that we sat,” he said.
Asked, he said the chairman of the commission somewhere in 2016-17 was MLA/MDC Banteidor Lyngdoh who is currently holding the Agriculture portfolio.
Rani said the herbs to treat stomach problems are mostly found in Mikir Hills. Till date, he claimed to have treated 1064 patients as per records from his cash memo.
Meanwhile, a lady herbal practitioner who treats only snake bite, Krinlida Thawmuit from Nongpiur said she stumbled upon the practice by chance.
“It was after this person suffered from snake bite and I looked at this particular herb…took it and applied it on the affected area. He was healed, I told him not to tell anyone but he did (smiles),” she said.
She added it all depends on the skin type of the person on the time the snake bite to be healed.
Thawmuit said the herb to treat snake bite is found in abundance in the forest but is hard to get during winter.
“We tried to plant the herb in the garden but it does not have the same strong qualities as that which is found in the forest,” she said.
