PESHAWAR: The Cupping or Hijama treatment centres are on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and particularly in Peshawar after it was for the first time used by the players in Rio Olympics as youngsters were more interested to take this easy treatment without any precautionary measures. There were around four centres of Hijama in Peshawar as one centre is in Hayatabad, one in Deans Trade Centre and one is in Ferdos and Ashngari area of Peshawar. Hijama is the process of applying cups at various points on the body to create a vacuum and then to suck the impure or harmful blood through the slightly incised skin surface. There are various, specific points on the body for cupping where the skin is pierced and then cups are applied to collect blood. Dr. Sohail, oral surgeon and member of the International Cupping Therapy Association USA and UK said that Hijama treatment can be utilised for the prevention of many diseases of the stomach, heart, liver, kidney, depression but the medical history of patient is necessary for it. He added that the patients with diabetes or the patients who has cancer and other serious disease cannot use the method of Hijama treatment, adding that in Pakistan people get on-line courses and then they open a centre for Hijama treatment and play with lives of the people. “If sterilised equipment is not used and special precautionary measures are not taken then Hijama can lead to Hepatitis, HIV and other serious diseases”, Dr. Sohail added. A Hijama centre owner, while talking on the condition of anonymity, said that he opted for an online course of Hijama and then opened a centre in Peshawar to treat patients, adding that he charged Rs 300 per patient. He further said that not only did he open a centre but also taught the techniques to his wife and now she also treated patients in her home, adding that it was an old method of treatment and patients were very relaxed after getting the treatment. Shahab Khan, a student of the University of Peshawar while talking to Daily Times said that he gpt Hijama treatment from Hayatabad and after getting the treatment he was very relaxed, adding that he was not satisfied with the equipment being used in Hijama therapy. When contacted, the Chairman Health Care Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Muhammad Zafar, said that unfortunately there was no legislation in the country to give licences to Hijama centres, adding that all those people who were opening Hijama centres had no license and were working illegally. He further said that Hijama treatment was under Hikmat treatment and in Pakistan there were no rules and regulations in the country for Hikmat treatment or for issuing a licence, adding that after the 18th amendment now the KP government could pass a bill to draw rules and regulations for the Hijama treatment centres and take steps to close the illegal Hijama centres in the province. About the Health Care Commission, he said that the commission was passed by the KP assembly, but even after more than a year there were no facilities provided by the provincial government to strengthen the commission. He added that they were working in a very limited space and there were only 12 drug inspectors with the commission as it was not possible to control the illegal business of medicines in the province, adding that the government must take immediate steps to release funds to the commission and strengthen it. When contacted, the senior Minister for Health, Shahram Khan Tarakai, said that the issue of Hijama centres would soon be highlighted on the floor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He added that the provincial government had established the HCC to take action against all those people who were playing games with the lives of innocent people, adding that soon the provincial government would represent a bill in the assembly on Hijama treatment centres after consultation with health experts.