Samaan Lateef | Srinagar
In a distressing trend, faith healers in Kashmir have been playing a devastating role in the health of children, leading to tragic consequences.
The premier Children Hospital at Bemina in Srinagar has witnessed multiple deaths as parents opt for the treatment offered by these faith healers instead of seeking medical care from qualified professionals.
Over the past two months, the Children Hospital has admitted several patients from various parts of Kashmir suffering from Hepatitis-A infections.
Doctors blamed contaminated drinking water and unhygienic sanitary practices for the spread of Hepatitis-A infections.
The medical staff at the Children Hospital has worked tirelessly to treat and stabilize the affected children, many of whom have faced acute liver failure due to the severity of their condition, doctors told Climate Health Review.
They say a worrying pattern has emerged when these patients are transferred from the Intensive Care Units to general wards.
“Instead of continuing the medical treatment prescribed by the hospital, parents choose to take their children to faith healers in Dhara and other places, seeking what they perceive as magical or miraculous remedies. Tragically, this decision often proves fatal, as the children’s health deteriorates rapidly without proper medical care,” said Dr. Ishaq Malik, a well-known child gastroenterologist and liver specialist.
“In the past six weeks, two children lost their lives after being taken to quacks in Dhara, exacerbating their already critical conditions,” said Malik, who works as an associate professor of pediatrics at Government Medical College Srinagar.
Doctors are dismayed at the ignorance and careless attitude displayed by parents towards their sick children.
They highlighted the dangerous consequences of relying on faith healers, emphasizing that valuable time is wasted while the children’s conditions worsen.
Doctors urged parents to refrain from seeking treatment from these quacks, as their practices involve fake medicine and pseudoscience that ultimately result in the loss of innocent lives.
The faith healers adopt practices that are masqueraded as scientific but lack empirical evidence and fail to adhere to the principles of the scientific method, Child Health experts said.
Pseudoscientific practices often exploit people’s vulnerability and lack of access to proper healthcare, leading them to put their trust in unfounded remedies, they said.
Doctors said the alarming consequences of pseudoscience and the misguided reliance on faith healers highlight the urgent need for public awareness and education.
“Communities must be equipped with accurate information about the importance of evidence-based medicine and the potential dangers associated with pseudoscientific treatments,” Malik said.
Governments, healthcare organizations, and medical professionals should collaborate to promote health literacy and provide accessible healthcare services to all, ensuring that families have the necessary resources and knowledge to make informed decisions regarding their children’s well-being, child health experts say.
“Efforts should also be directed towards stricter regulation and monitoring of faith healers and their practices,” doctors said.
By implementing robust mechanisms to identify and deter quackery, authorities can help safeguard the lives of vulnerable individuals, particularly children who are unable to advocate for themselves.
Collaborating with religious and community leaders to disseminate accurate health information and dispel myths associated with faith healing, and proper vaccination can also be instrumental in preventing further tragedies, doctors said.
