• Proposed merger of National Council for Tibb and National Council for Homoeopathy threatens future of 70,000 Hakeems
• Health ministry says merger to be endorsed by parliament, in consultation with relevant sectors
• Stakeholders say bill lacks ‘saving clause’
ISLAMABAD: The proposed closure of 40 Tibb colleges following a health ministry move to implement rightsizing — by merging the Council for Tibb and the Homeopathic Council through an Act of Parliament — has pushed over 70,000 traditional Hakeems towards an existential threat.
While talking to Dawn, Principal of Ajmal Tibbia College, Rawalpindi, Prof Imran Lodhi, said, “The ministry has drafted a bill proposing the merger of the two councils. The bill forwarded to the law division suggests abolishing colleges.
“We have been instructed not to admit students in the next academic session. Once existing students complete their studies, the colleges will be closed.” He said that the move would also raise questions about the legal status of more than 70,000 practising Hakeems.
Prof Lodhi said there were three main categories of healthcare practitioners in Pakistan: allopathic, homeopathic, and Hakeems. He explained that while allopathic practice is regulated under the Drug Act, 1976, Hikmat operates under the Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practitioners Act, 1965, under which the National Council for Tibb and the National Council for Homoeopathy were established.
“At present, 40 Hikmat colleges and 140 homeopathic colleges are functioning across the country. Hikmat colleges admit matriculation students with science backgrounds, who must complete four years of education and a six-month house job to obtain a licence. Some universities — including Hamdard University, Qarshi University and Rawalakot University — admit FSc pre-medical students, who must complete four years of education and a one-year house job,” he said.
Prof Lodhi said ministries and divisions were taking steps toward rightsizing following recommendations linked to the IMF.
General Secretary of the Pakistan Tibbi Alliance, Muhammad Sajjad, has written to the ministries of health and law, urging them to halt consideration of the draft bill.
He said the proposed “National Traditional and Complementary Medicine (NTCAM) Act, 2025” contained serious gaps that could lead to the closure of hundreds of Tibbia and homeopathic colleges and widespread unemployment among registered practitioners.
“Without an explicit saving clause, existing professional licences could fall into legal doubt, creating an unnecessary healthcare crisis. Traditional medicine colleges are the backbone of this sector. The bill does not provide deemed recognition to existing institutions, many of which have been operating since before the creation of Pakistan,” he said.
He urged the government to protect the right to livelihood of Hakeems (holding Expert in Medicine and Surgery diploma) who have served rural and urban poor communities for decades.
Govt defends move
Spokesperson for the health ministry Sajid Hussain Shah said the merger was being carried out through an act of Parliament in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
He said the merger would streamline and improve the quality of Tibb and homeopathic education in line with allopathic standards.
A senior health ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the decision followed directives to reduce posts and expenditures.
On the other hand, Hakeems argued that they were often the only healthcare providers serving far-flung rural areas, as MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) doctors rarely practise in their native regions.
Hakeem Muhammad Sajjad from Lahore told Dawn the annual budget of the National Council for Tibb was only Rs1.1 million, while the National Council for Homoeopathy’s budget was Rs1.7m — less than the annual salary of a single BPS-17 employee.
Hakeem Sarfaraz Bhatti from Gujranwala believed no Hakeem would be able to practise once the bill was enacted into law. “It is unfortunate that departments consuming tens of millions of rupees from the exchequer were ignored, while two councils with minimal financial burden are being merged,” he said.
Hakeem Muhammad Malik from Rawalpindi said: “The proposed bill prohibits Hakeems from preparing medicines and restricts them to prescribing company-manufactured drugs. However, companies do not produce medicines for rare diseases. If Hakeems are barred from practice, not only will treatments disappear, but the profession of herb sellers.”
Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2026
