Some belief, practices and prospects of folk healers of Sikkim

Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepalis, three ethnic groups of Sikkim practicing traditional medicines have a strong belief of different supernatural forces and deities. The study is an attempt to focus on the beliefs, practices and prospects of folk healers of Sikkim. The study was conducted in whole Sikkim and the data were collected by the field survey and personal interviews of 102 identified folk healers. In the study the age, sex, educational qualification, source of knowledge, experience, generation of practice and collection of herbs in different days of 102 folk healers are presented. The treatment principles, beliefs and medical ailment are more or less similar in three different ethnic groups. The study shows a declined trend of new generation to adopt this practice as profession. There is a greatest challenge to revitalize the traditional health and to promote the folk medicine in rural poor people of Sikkim for their primary healthcare.