A Study on Level of Use of Different Medical System by the People of Bangladesh

Abstract

Most of the times, the type and uses of different medicinal system are largely influenced by beliefs, effectiveness or potentiality of medication system, rapidity or duration of action, economical condition, educational level, folklore customs, the cultural habits, social practices and in many cases, superstitions of the people who prescribe or use them. Different types of medical systems are practiced in Bangladesh. These are allopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Un ani or Hakimi, Homeopathy, Mogha shasrio, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Naturopathy, Faith healer (pir, fakir, bede or ojha) and family folk medicine. The allopathic system of modern medicine is more popular than the traditional mode, but authentic allopathic service is more expensive. Traditional medicine plays a very important role in Bangladesh, particularly at the primary health care level. On the other hand, most of the people of Bangladesh live under poverty line and often they don't take any treatment when they feel sick because they somehow can't afford it. To have the picture about the use of different medical system and what is the percentage of using different medical system and also find out the percentage of people who don't take any treatment or medicine, a survey program was conducted in different areas and slam of Dhaka city and urban and rural areas of Nobabgonj thana. The first part of the questionnaire was included information about which medicinal system you had been used in last three months for which disease, the cause of using that particular medical system, whether diseases were cured or not, to get those medication how much you spend, from whom you knew about these medical systems, whether it had been caused any side effect or not, do you think traditional or folk medicines are safer than modern medicine or not and also in the case of children are safer or not and the second part of the questionnaire