Demand for medicinal herbs still intact

Hyderabad: The world may be inventing new and effective allopathic medicines for different diseases but the credibility of medicines at Dawasaaz in twin cities is still not lost.

Even though the number of people using Unani or conventional medicines is comparatively less than allopathic medicines still Dawasaaz has a relevance and prevalence in Hyderabad.

While the allopathic medicines are quick in action and are synthetic, the Unani and Ayurvedic medicines are extracts of herbs and medicinal roots. Shops that sell and deal with the conventional or medicines of herbs are commonly known as Dawasaaz. Though there are remedies for many diseases in allopathy medicine, yet the trustworthy of Ayurvedic medicines visit Dawasaaz for routine ailments like cold, aches, constipation issues, and others.

There are dozens of Dawasaaz shops across the twin cities and few are very popular among the masses. A senior Unani medicine practitioner from Nampally, Hakeem Mohammed Ahmed Ali said earlier medicines were prepared by the Hakeems besides diagnosing the diseases but today situations are not the same.

He had been selling herbal medicines for the past four decades. He said, “Dawasaaz means makers of medicines but, today not many prepare medicines at shops as only few people possess the skills and knowledge of preparing medicines. I have the knowledge of preparing medicines however, since the procedure is cumbersome and complicated, everyone opts for readymade medicines.”

Dawasaaz shops sell Unani and Ayurvedic medicines and these have remedies for many human ailments, he added. He further said compared to the previous years, the number of people using these medicines has come down but not vanished completely.

The Unani or Ayurvedic medicines has the perfect cure for Piles, Asthama, Urinary Tract Infection, Leprosy and other few diseases, he claimed.

Mohammed Burhanudding, a pharmacy student and proprietor of Dawasaaz shop in Laad Bazar said that he had been into this business for the past seven years and it was his ancestral shop.

He said, “Since these medicines do not have any side effects and are extracts of herbs people prefer them over allopathic medicines. We sell medicines prescribed by Ayurvedic and Unani doctors.” People with hair loss issues, digestion irregularities, dehydration and vigour issues visit us more frequently, he added.

Kloon Hair Oil, Sufoof-e- Nizam( for digestion), Joshanda (for general strength), Ashwagandha, Majun-e-Makki, Majun-e-Sarjun (for joint pains), Majun-e-sangdana (for digestion) and Jawaris Kamun (for constipation issues) are a few popular medicines available in these stores. Habibuddin, a Dawasaaz from Bazarghat said that he has been selling medicines of Hamdard and Ayurveda for the past ten years.

“There is a slight increase in the number of people taking these medicines over past few years. I believe that people will stop using more of allopathic medicines and prefer conventional medicines,” he added.

People associated with the sale and preparation of medicines from herbs and medicinal roots said that there does not exists a major difference between Ayurveda and Unani medicine.