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Are spice dealers giving patients false hopes?
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In
the introduction to his book Al-Hawi, the great physician Abu Bakr Ar-Razi
warned more than a thousand years ago that, “the practices of greed-driven,
illiterate and inexperienced young healers could kill; therefore, avoid them.”
I
came across this warning not in one of Ar-Razi’s books, nor from a modern-day
practitioner of conventional medicine, rather it is being circulated by a Qatari
spice dealer who owns an herbal treatment center (also known as an alternative
medicine center).
These centers have currently
become quite popular in Qatar, to the extent that we come across daily
advertisements such as “The leading centre for specialized herbal treatments
is proud to offer you a selection of top-quality herbs that help cure . . ..
” What usually follows is a long list of incurable diseases that the owners
of these centers claim they could treat and cure completely without the help of
modern medicine or surgery. Herbal remedies are modern medicine’s
long-standing rival, but for how long can they withstand this competition?
Old
Remedies “Modernized”
Natural
herbs are still perceived to be completely safe, and there is no doubt that
common people tend to seek out nature’s “medicine chest” that Allah (SWT)
has endowed us with. For centuries, herbs have provided man with treatments and
cures for many ailments and offered solutions to environment-related concerns.
The statement “old remedies ‘modernized’” is quite apt because most
modern medicines are now herb-based.
But
spice dealers still advocate their slogan, “Keep your medicine in its bottles
– a healthy diet is the best cure.”
Some
herb traders have undoubtedly played on patients’ hopes in finding a cure;
these patients fall prey to greed-driven swindlers and pay high prices for false
promises. To gain insight into this growing market we interviewed several
individuals.
Exorbitant
Prices
We
asked Mr. Yaser Mukhtar, marketing director of an investment company, about his
opinion on the use of herbs that are currently being advertised on a large scale
in the Qatari market. He said:
“We
Muslims believe, as mentioned in the Hadeeth (prophetic sayings), that there is
a cure in honey for people and that the black seed is a cure for all ailments,
with the exception of those related to old age. I feel confident when I use
honey or herbs because of my conviction that they are free of harmful chemical
substances. As you are aware there is a firm belief that, with the exception of
herbs, all medicines have side effects. But
I must say that noting the large amount of advertisements promoting alternative
medicine centers, I get the feeling that the matter is now more profit oriented.
This feeling was strengthened when I discovered that the prices of these
remedies were exorbitant — costing hundreds even thousands of riyals. What
makes you suspicious is that each center claims to be the best and that the
other centres are deceptive in the promotion of their products.
“To
be honest, I think that these promotions are hocus-pocus aimed at exploiting
people. They particularly target women as many of them are easily deceived. The
majority of women are obsessed with lightening their complexions and acquiring a
slender build without exerting any effort. There is a big difference between
spice traders who sell low-priced herbs and herbal centers that have become
medical clinics offering remedies at exorbitant prices.”
Du’aa
Al Bailee, a housewife, said, “I haven’t used herbal remedies although many
of my friends have. Frankly, I don’t like the taste of herbs. As a remedy, I
use honey and warm lemon juice. I’ve heard that garlic and ginger are good, so
I use them a lot. I also know that sour milk and white honey are good for the
complexion. But I don’t mind going to spice shops. In my opinion, there is a
big difference between spice shops and herbal centers that provide remedies at
very high prices—it’s more of a money-making business.”
Lack
of Regulation
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“Herbal remedies are not subjected to the rigorous regulations and safeguards to which pharmaceutical products are required to conform.”
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“The
majority of people prefer traditional recipes and natural remedies, which are
available at spice shops and herbal centers,” said Mr. Waleed Mahmood, a
systems analyst and computer expert. He believes that this is the case because
people think that these remedies are completely free from harmful chemicals. He
stresses that the danger lies in the fact that neither these centers, nor the
industry is subjected to any regulations. Traders are not medical doctors or
specialists and might not have any relevant qualifications; therefore, anyone
can claim to have an understanding of herbal medicine. Herbal remedies are not
subjected to the rigorous regulations and safeguards to which pharmaceutical
products produced in scientific labs are required to conform.
Mrs.
Zakiyah Sayed Al-Ahl, a kindergarten principal, said, “There is no doubt that
undisputed natural remedies are beneficial; for example, beverages prepared from
natural ingredients like cinnamon, tea, ginger, honey, and lemon are useful to
combat the flu virus. But we need tougher regulations for spice shops and the
herbal trade because some dealers, in the process of promoting their businesses,
sometimes exaggerate the usefulness of their remedies and sell false promises to
customers, especially women, many of whom are easy prey.”
Sarah
Salaahuddeen, a student, said, “I actually bought some herbal weight-loss
products to try. They were not effective nor did they have any side effects,
except for the money spent. This does not mean that herbs are ineffective, but
my experience has increased my trust in conventional medical doctors.”
Haphazard
Practices
It
was important to hear the traders’ point of view, so I called a trader who had
advertised his products.
“Many
centers are advertising herbal treatments for a variety of diseases. Are these
treatments tried and proven?” I asked.
“Actually,
you must not believe everything you read. There are reputable, well-known
centers that patients can trust, and there are others whose main concern is to
promote their business,” he replied.
“But
you sell similar products. What do you say about that?” I asked.
“I
am a specialist and have more than 20 years of experience. I have a respected
clientele, which includes sheiks and ministers to whom I prescribe remedies, and
they come back for follow-up treatments. I am not like the others,” he
answered in a confident,
challenging tone before reciting
the following verses of poetry:
I
called on the people’s doctor
My
soul beseeching the Divine Healer
For
it’s the doctor who prescribes medicine
But
glory be to Him Who provides healing
Another
trader said to me, “If you are hesitant about buying, make istikhaarah [a
prayer for guidance].” I really felt comfortable with his suggestion and made
istikhaarah, after which I wrote this article.
In
order to know what medical doctors think about folk medicine practices, I asked
Dr. Khalid Ash-Shaikh, an obstetrician and gynecologist, about his opinion. He
said:
“Folk
medicine is currently practiced in a very haphazard and unprofessional manner.
People also seem to have excessive fears from modern medicine and believe
that it contains harmful substances whereas they seem unaware of the fact that
modern medicine is actually produced from herbs after extensive laboratory-based
research.
“Herb
traders use psychological persuasion techniques to market their products; for
example, they might perhaps sell honey and herbs at high prices to ensure that
people will buy them. On the other hand, I don’t think that the herbs
available on the market
are harmful in any way; if they were, traders wouldn’t be allowed to
promote them. The Ministry of Health would not tolerate practices that could
jeopardize the health of citizens.”
Finally,
this phenomenon is not a local one. In Britain alone there are close to 600
registered Chinese herbal practitioners offering about a million medical
consultations per year. These practitioners are registered and their numbers are
controlled. This is contrary to the situation in Arab countries, which don’t
have mechanisms in place to enable authorities to identify or control the number
of those who are involved in this medical-related commercial activity. The
majority of these practitioners are amateurs, not specialists.
Folk
medicine practices need to be revised and regulated. No one denies or can deny
the benefits of herbal remedies, but we need more checks and safeguards to
protect the health of citizens and to ensure that they are not being exploited.
