Limalenden Longkumer
Mokokchung | May 20
If you want to have all your “diseases cured by system of ayurvedic and unani medicines (sic)” by a self-professed ayurvedic practitioner without any legal documents to validate himself for the same, come to Mokokchung. One Dr. Md. Salim Sheikh, who professes himself to be a “sexologist physician of ayurvedic unani medicine” with a dubious registered number 93413, Patna, claims that he can cure more than 65 diseases of all sorts. As is mentioned in his advertisement leaflets, which his “assistant” distributes around the town, any “patient” can see him at his “clinic” which he has established in a room at Hotel Senden in downtown Mokokchung, on the 15th to 20th days of every month.
Though the “doctor” has possession of not a single valid document, eyewitness accounts make it safe to conclude that “patients” do visit him. The “doctor” nonetheless possesses a “trade permit” issued against him by the Tuensang Town Committee (TTC) with the license number 17. The Chairman of TTC issued the said license, but no date of issue was mentioned in the document though it was mentioned that the license was being renewed up to 31/05/2005.
The “doctor” also did have possession of a “Temporary Permit” issued by the erstwhile Mokokchung Town Committee (MTC) on 18/11/1998, signed by the Vice-Chairman of MTC, which also mentioned that the document was valid up to 10/12/1998.
Besides, the “doctor” was also found to have in his possession a “medical practitioner certificate” issued by the “S.D.M. & H.O” of Sarupathar PHC, Golaghat. This “certificate” is also, however, found to be invalid, as the “issuing authority” had clearly mentioned overleaf that the “certificate” was being renewed only for six months, which was signed on 10/11/1997, that is, almost a decade ago.
The “doctor” has in his possession a “certificate” issued by the Civil Surgeon, Mokokchung, on 22/12/1998.
However, the issuing authority made no mention of any validity period in the same. Interestingly, the document also mentions the name of one Chuba of Mokokchung bearing witness to the “doctor”.
If the “doctor” is a qualified or a bogus practitioner is a matter of concern, but what is more serious is that the concerned authorities and the general public are not even aware of the legality and authenticity of his “profession”. This is just one instance of how uninformed the concerned authorities are and how the general public live in oblivion.
It may be mentioned here that many dubious self-professed palmists, astrologers, beggars, and phony salesmen plague the town today, yet, nonchalantly, the authorities in particular and the public in general fail to perceive any abnormality inherently evident in these spurious activities. If stringent measures are not taken to check these elements immediately, it is feared that they may cause serious damage to the social fabric of the indigenous society in the long run.
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