By Parvez ud Din
Srinagar: World Unani Day 2025 is being celebrated today on Tuesday, Feb 11 to mark the birth anniversary of Unani practitioner, scholar and visionary Hakim Ajmal Khan. The occasion is marked to commemorate Khan's contribution to unani medicine in India and abroad. It is also marked to raise awareness about Unani medicine, one of the oldest healthcare systems.
This Year's Theme
This year's theme for World Unani Day is 'Innovations in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions'. On the occasion of World Unani Day, several important events are being organized across the country with the Ministry of Ayush holding an international conference on Feb 11 and 12 to commemorate the event.
In Jammu and Kashmir also, the event is being celebrated to raise awareness about the ancient health system with experts expressing their views on the importance and efficacy of Unani medicine.
It is understood that notwithstanding advancements in the medical sciences, people in the Kashmir Valley are getting attracted towards the ancient method of treatment since the past few years. Patients suffering from bone, joint pain, stomach, skin diseases and other ailments are giving preference to adopting Unani medicine as per officials.
Dr. Farooq Muhammad Ahmed Naqshbandi, Medical Superintendent at the Government Unani Hospital, in Srinagar's Shalateng, says that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been increasingly inclined towards ancient methods of treatment which is only increasing by day.
“India is ahead of other countries in the world in adopting ancient methods of treatment. In this regard, by introducing new techniques, AYUSH units have been established in hospitals with the support of the central government,” Dr Farooq said.
Medicinal Herbs At Risk
In a major challenge to the practice of unani medicine in Jammu and Kashmir, the medicinal plants are either becoming rare or endangered. Experts say that 90 percent of the plants used for medicines in Jammu and Kashmir are endangered. There are 5,000 plant species found in the forest areas, out of which 500 are used for medicines and out of these, 300 plants are of utmost importance.
Dr. Waheed, Technical Officer of the Department of AYUSH, said that 150 of the plants are extremely important, out of which 25 are quite rare.
“90 percent of the plants found at high altitudes are endangered. These include many plants that are also used to make valuable allopathic (English) medicines,” he said.
He further said that to save rare herbs and plants, nurseries covering 500 kanals land have been established in Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
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