herbal medicine is present in Indian public and private sectors in the shape of unani medicine, ayurvedic medicine and homeopathic medicine.

A number of people across the globe are not only using herbs but also have a firm belief that herbs have magical wonders for the treatment of chronic ailments such as hepatitis, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, hypertension and diabetes.

Hakim Mohammad Said realised the importance of eastern medicine. He devoted his life to it. His efforts seem to be bearing fruit but in a very sluggish manner.

The Bachelor of Eastern Medicine and Surgery (BEMS) is a five-year degree programme like the MBBS. It is a new form of tibb launched for the first time at the Hamdard University, Karachi, and then in Islamia University, Bahawalpur. Now the health department should take radical steps to accommodate BEMS graduates in district headquarters and tehsil headquarters, considering them not only as hakeems but as doctors as well. The problem whether they should be called hakeem or doctor is yet to be solved.

The number of unemployed BEMS graduates is increasing. It is time to place them in the respective field of health as hakeems, preferably in grade 17 or at least they should be preferred over FTJ hakeems of grade 15 in district headquarters and tehsil headquartes. It is like preferring an MBBS over a dispenser for a dispenser’s position. If not possible, then BEMS graduates should be awarded an MBBS degree by addition of a medicine refresher course as both the degrees have more or less similar syllabus.

Treatment of ailment means maintenance of health and cure of the disease using all possible remedial measures, starting from herbs to injectables. Ironically, a dispenser is allowed to run a clinic, using allopathy on the basis of one-to-two-year course. The dispensers/quakes are serving in local communities where medical facilities are not available and even in hospitals in the form of paramedical staff.

I feel treatment of the patient should be ensured using all sources. BEMS graduates are restricted to use herbal medicine. It is clear that herbal medicine cures mostly chronic diseases while allopathic medicine is used in emergency cases. Allopathic practitioners have no limitations whether they use allo or herbal in spite of having no knowledge of temperament which is the soul of herbs.

Therefore, BEMS graduates should be allowed to use allo because they have knowledge of allopathy. It is just the need of the hour to love and save nature or all unemployed BEMS graduates would emigrate to foreign countries.

M. RAMZAN KALEEM Jahania (Khanewal)