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Volume 5, Issue 2 (Suppl) J Tradi Med Clin Natur
ISSN: JTMCN, an open access journal
Page 66
Notes:
Traditional Medicine 2016
September 14-16, 2016
conferenceseries.com
September 14-16, 2016 Amsterdam, Netherlands
6th International Conference and Exhibition on
Traditional & Alternative Medicine
GUNIS-Traditional healers of Rajasthan, India
Harsh Lata Bookel
O P Jindal Global University, India
Health seeking behavior is an important factor in health management. Ignoring it while considering schemes for providing health
facilities can result into non- acceptance by the community. It is important to understand the perception of the community
regarding the service delivery. This becomes critical especially among traditional and tribal societies. With this motive, Accreditation
and Certification of prior learning (ACPL) in folk healers was designed. It was an effort to find out genuine folk healers who have been
practicing a traditional system of medicine since ages and applying the indigenous method supported by herbal drugs. A minimum
competence document was prepared and folk healers were tested for their knowledge by an expert committee. Three institutions
initiated this certification process and were piloted in eight states of India. This paper focuses on the review of this certification
process. This review is done in Udaipur district of State Rajasthan. It was performed in order to validate the practices of traditional
healers, often called gunis. The purpose of the review was to find out the effectiveness of their treatment and to what extent it can
be accepted, integrated and mainstreamed. Traditional health practitioners (THPs) and their role in traditional medicine health
care system are worldwide acknowledged. More than three fourths of population relies on alternative medicine for health access
in developing countries. This area is ignored by the government, less discussed by the health economists, and orphaned by science.
Unfortunately, almost all the evidence about their effectiveness is anecdotal or testimonial in nature, and remains unpublished by
accepted medical journals. Medicine is becoming more and more dehumanized by advent of machines and working at the human
element lost in it is the need of the hour. This paper is an effort to acknowledge the traditional health practices. It is an effort to bring
these practices out of their territory to get recognition among the masses.
Biography
Harsh Lata Bookel is working as a Research Associate at O P Jindal Global University, India. She is trained as an Ayurvedic Doctor (B.A.M.S- Bachelor’s in
Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy. Before joining Jindal, she worked in Seva Mandir- an NGO working for the
disadvantaged communities in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, India. She was looking after the maternal and child health program. She interned at Foundation for
revitalization in local health traditions. She was involved in the process review of a pilot project called “Accreditation and certification of prior learning in folk healers”,
Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Harsh Lata Bookel, J Tradi Med Clin Natur 2016, 5:2 (Suppl)