S.A.Shofiee, Sylhet :
There has been a mushroom growth of unauthorised ayurvedic, unani and herbal treatment centres in Sylhet city and all the 12 upazilas of the district. These treatment centres offer cure for any disease from cold to cancer in quickest possible time, from 24 hours to a week.
Most of such centres neither have any drug licence nor any qualified Hekim or doctor required for running such business.
Hundreds of people, especially youngsters, are being cheated every day as they spend a lot of money on such treatment, pushing their health to serious danger, a section of the city residents alleged.
The cure centres mainly target those suffering from sexually-transmitted diseases (STD).
On the other hand, a section of people is making brisk business in the name of herbal treatment, which is really a grave concern for public health.
At least 30 to 40 herbal treatment centers in the district are offering health services with guarantee to cure any disease in short time.
They have put up attractive signboards in different areas of the city, including Amborkhana, Subidbazar, Shibgonj, Dorgagate, Bus terminal areas and upazila headquarters.
The herbal treatment centers also publish advertisements in local newspapers to draw attention of patients and also engage their men to lure patients to receive treatment from them.
They even distribute thousands of leaflets in front of educational institutions, business houses and bus stands to attract common people.
Many patients have complained that they have not been cured despite spending a lot of money for treatment at those centers.
Assistant director of Drug Administration, Sylhet region, said, ‘Publicity and advertisements on such herbal medicines are inconsistent with the medical ethics and a flagrant violation of the existing laws.’
They are just fleecing the patients in the name of herbal treatment, he added. During a recent visit to different herbal treatment centres, this correspondent found so-called Hekims treating patients suffering from cancer, paralysis, acidity, asthma, jaundice, fistula, hysteria and skin diseases without any tests.
Middle-aged patient Ibrahim Hawlader said he took some herbal medicines a few weeks ago for his ailments, but those did not work well. Innocent Ibrahim rather suffered side effects on his sensitive skin.
Hekim Aktar Hussain of in the city said he had a degree from Bangladesh Unani Medical College and a trade licence so there could be no bar to his selling herbal medicine.
Superintendent of Sylhet M. A. G Osmani Medical College Hospital said, ‘None can guarantee cure for a disease before treatment. When the whole world is busy doing research on cancer and AIDS, I don’t know how the so-called Hekims or doctors guarantee success in treatment of those diseases.’
There has been a mushroom growth of unauthorised ayurvedic, unani and herbal treatment centres in Sylhet city and all the 12 upazilas of the district. These treatment centres offer cure for any disease from cold to cancer in quickest possible time, from 24 hours to a week.
Most of such centres neither have any drug licence nor any qualified Hekim or doctor required for running such business.
Hundreds of people, especially youngsters, are being cheated every day as they spend a lot of money on such treatment, pushing their health to serious danger, a section of the city residents alleged.
The cure centres mainly target those suffering from sexually-transmitted diseases (STD).
On the other hand, a section of people is making brisk business in the name of herbal treatment, which is really a grave concern for public health.
At least 30 to 40 herbal treatment centers in the district are offering health services with guarantee to cure any disease in short time.
They have put up attractive signboards in different areas of the city, including Amborkhana, Subidbazar, Shibgonj, Dorgagate, Bus terminal areas and upazila headquarters.
The herbal treatment centers also publish advertisements in local newspapers to draw attention of patients and also engage their men to lure patients to receive treatment from them.
They even distribute thousands of leaflets in front of educational institutions, business houses and bus stands to attract common people.
Many patients have complained that they have not been cured despite spending a lot of money for treatment at those centers.
Assistant director of Drug Administration, Sylhet region, said, ‘Publicity and advertisements on such herbal medicines are inconsistent with the medical ethics and a flagrant violation of the existing laws.’
They are just fleecing the patients in the name of herbal treatment, he added. During a recent visit to different herbal treatment centres, this correspondent found so-called Hekims treating patients suffering from cancer, paralysis, acidity, asthma, jaundice, fistula, hysteria and skin diseases without any tests.
Middle-aged patient Ibrahim Hawlader said he took some herbal medicines a few weeks ago for his ailments, but those did not work well. Innocent Ibrahim rather suffered side effects on his sensitive skin.
Hekim Aktar Hussain of in the city said he had a degree from Bangladesh Unani Medical College and a trade licence so there could be no bar to his selling herbal medicine.
Superintendent of Sylhet M. A. G Osmani Medical College Hospital said, ‘None can guarantee cure for a disease before treatment. When the whole world is busy doing research on cancer and AIDS, I don’t know how the so-called Hekims or doctors guarantee success in treatment of those diseases.’
