This led to development of various systems of medicine in different parts of the world. Modern system of medicine advanced further in a scientific manner through intensive research to find pathogenesis of disease and thus developed medical/surgical treatment accordingly. This broke several prevailing myths and beliefs about disease.

But despite all these developments and modern technological innovations, there are lot of myths about healthcare prevailing in our society. Some of these are being perpetuated in an organised manner. The belief in the unscientific, out-dated ideas in the healthcare persists in all sections of the society in a varying degree even though these ideas have failed the test of time. The advances in science do not necessarily lead to development of scientific temper. People use scientific innovations for their benefit but remain embedded in unscientific ideas. Development of scientific temper requires concerted efforts to educate the people.

It is therefore important that health education based on scientific basis be imparted from the very childhood so that children do not fall prey to such false beliefs as they grow. Belief in these myths can have serious repercussions when the patients visit faith healers even in case of serious illnesses like cancer and others. In such situations the disease which could have been cured/checked or made less painful, become aggressive and irreparable harm is done to the person.

The myths in healthcare are related to all sorts of diseases be it communicable, non-communicable or degenerative in nature and related to any system of the body. Several people still believe that Epilepsy is caused by shadow of the 'witch', so the treatment is based on getting rid of the 'witch'. Some believe that the smell of a dirty shoe would cure the patient of seizures.

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, is another illness disease which, in some parts of the country is thought to be caused by "consuming milk with Jalebi".

Many a diseases are self-limiting in nature. They require supportive treatment. For example Mumps, a viral illness generally gets better in a week or so. It needs supportive measures to reduce the pain and other trouble shooting symptoms. But the patients of Mumps invariably visit the ‘Ghumar’ (the earthen pot maker) with the belief that with few mantras from his mouth and application of earth on the cheeks the disease will get cured. Mumps is a viral infection of salivary glands caused by Paramyxovirus where the patient develops painful and tender swelling of cheeks or below the mandible. It is a self-limiting disorder and gets cured with time and with supportive measures.

Same is true for chickenpox and other such illnesses. It is thought that the chicken pox occurs when the ‘mother goddess’ gets angry. The disease named as ‘Chhoti Mata’ in parts of north India. So the people go and prey to the goddess in the pursuit to please her and get blessings.

Similarly the Bell’s Palsy (Paralysis of one side of the face) is cured by such healers by various methods. One such method is focusing sun light on the neck of the patient using a convex lens. This causes burn on the skin. As the burn heals the facial palsy also recovers because in vast majority of the cases it is a self-limiting disease.

Myths are strengthened when the state or those at the helms of affairs perpetuate such absurd ideas. Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said in 2014 that surgery in India was so much advanced in ancient times that we could successfully transplant an elephant’s head on human body. This was a signal to his band wagon to go ahead to spread such unproven things. It is after that, the out-dated unscientific ideas like the utility of cow urine and cow dung for human health are being highlighted despite that there is no scientific evidence in its favour.

There is also move to appoint astrologers in the hospitals to give opinion on issues of medical treatment. There is also report of some ministers of the Gujarat government having participated in the conference of 'Tantriks' and felicitated them.

The 'Garbh Vigyan Sanskar' by Arogya Bharti is another matter of to be pondered over. They hold workshops to preach the couples to recite Shlokas at the time of mating so as to have customized babies of their choice - the Uttam santati. With this they claim that couple can have children of choice and that this would lead to development of a pure and powerful generation.

Some time back Dr Nageshwar Rao Former Vice Chancellor of Andhra Pradesh university while addressing the Indian Science Congress held at Jalandhar had said that in the ancient time we had advanced stem cell technique which was used in cloning in ancient times and Karana and 100 Kaurvas were born through this technique and not out of the womb. This is not based on scientific evidence. These are meant to be spoken only to perpetuate myths and obscurantism. Lately the director of IIT Mandi Laxmidhar Behera has said that the heart stops beating only when the soul, which lives in the heart, leaves it. The doctors theory about heart attack is shear nonsense according to him.

In this context it is pertinent to mention the statement by Shri Narendra Modi during the recent elections that he is directly sent by god there by meaning that he is not born out of mother’s womb. This is a very subtle move to keep the society in utter backwardness.

It is for the medical bodies, rationalist societies and right thinking people with scientific outlook to question. People like Mahesh Chand Sharma, now a retired Rajasthan High Court Judge saying that female peacock gives birth not because of mating but because it licks the tears which flow out of eyes of peacock has to be countered out rightly.

Modernity cannot be achieved through medieval ideas. Health of our people, particularly of the women and children cannot be left to be exploited by the people with irrational ideas. We are well aware how women folk are witch hunted on the pretext of madness while this could have been treated through Psychiatric treatment and counselling.

There has to be a concerted effort to develop a healthy India through scientific outlook. Otherwise health of vast majority of our poor population will continue to be exploited through false beliefs and myths in healthcare. There was a time when such obscurantist ideas prevailed throughout the world. Several countries have moved forward; it is a shame that those at the helms of affairs in our country want to keep our people in the obsolete thinking. (IPA Service)