ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Ahmad Saleemi, Chairman of the National Council for Tibb, on Sunday called upon the government to support Tibb, an herbal form of treatment.
In an interview, Saleemi highlighted the historical background of Tibb Colleges. He said that the government extended its support to alternative medicines through the Ayurvedic, Unani, and Homoeopathic Practitioners Act of 1965, leading to the formation of the NCT.
He said that NCT’s primary responsibility is to regulate Tibb institutions nationwide. Now, thirty-nine institutions are offering four and five-year Tibb programs, with twenty-five located in Punjab, four in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), four in Sindh, and one in Balochistan.
He said that a 4-year premedical program in Tibb is equivalent to an associate degree, while a 5-year post-premedical program is equivalent to a master’s degree.
In addition to these institutions, Saleemi said that approximately ten universities provide Tibb degrees, allowing students to pursue doctoral-level studies.
He said these degrees are modelled after the MBBS (Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine) program, including a compulsory house job.
The chairman mentioned that the NCT consists of twenty-two members, with fourteen members elected through an electoral process and 8 members nominated by the government.
Enhancing herbal treatment’s quality
He said that four members represent the provinces, while 4 represent Islamabad. To enhance the Tibb treatment’s quality, the NCT has introduced a system of renewing practitioners’ memberships every 4 years.
Saleemi said that regulatory bodies such as Islamabad Health Care Regulatory Authority and the Health Care Regulatory Authority oversee the registration of practitioners to maintain quality standards. The NCT is working on introducing specialized courses that meet the changing needs of the field, including Regimental Therapy, Hijama Therapy, and Hydrotherapy.
