Traditional Bone-setters have been included in NRHM to overcome acute lack of doctors in Nagaland. Faced with an acute shortage of medical doctors, the Nagaland Govt is now encouraging traditional systems of medicine to provide healthcare to its people. This is being done by including traditional healthcare practitioners in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) under the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy system). While most systems of alternative medicines are integrated in the NRHM, Nagaland government has also included bone-setting under the system. Bone-setting is an art that is passed on from generation to generation. “We have a strong system of traditional medicines and people accept these systems very well,” Dr Yangerlemla, Principal Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare (Nagaland) said, adding that it was a conscious decision to incorporate bone-setters in the health stream. There is a great demand for orthopaedics in Nagaland as falls and accidents are common in this mountainous terrain. Traditional healers applying locally made herbs and setting broken and dislocated bones within minutes is a common sight. “Not all these cases may be successful in treating patients but are, more or less, known to be very effective. So we have decided to make the method more hygienic and acceptable by training the traditional practitioners,” Dr Yangerlemla added. Each of the 11 districts in Nagaland has about 15-20 bone setters who will be trained under the NRHM and integrated into the mainstream healthcare system.
Source : The Hindu
