Amin A Muhammad Gadit.
Could there be a role for Shamans in the health care delivery system of Pakistan?.
J Pak Med Assoc Jan ;57(2):101-2.

A shaman in Pakistan is popularly known as "baba" or "pir". The other type of healer which is a religious healer is known as "sufi" who does not fall into the category of shamans but is well respected in the community and brings relief through holy verses and some other religiously sanctioned rituals. They are the disciples of saints and a large number of people have faith in their healing powers, hence shrines and other holy places are flocked by the masses, irrespective of educational or ethnic background, seeking cure especially for mental illness. It is also believed that Sufi saints are effective healers and even after their death have spiritual influence by virtue of which they can cure or provide relief. The shamans however, have no prescribed qualifications; their spiritual powers are either conferred upon or acquired through meditation, elaborate religious rituals or lengthy spiritual training. The number of practicing shamans is very high, only in Karachi, there are about 400 such practitioners. They practice at their residences, clinics, shrines or mosques and explain mental illness on the basis of possession by the evil spirit, by jinni or by magical influences cast by enemies. This is a review article.

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