What is hijama?
Hijama is an ancient method of alternative medicine that involves bloodletting using vacuum cups applied to small incisions on the skin. The purpose of the procedure is to remove "stagnant" blood, which is believed to cleanse the body and improve blood circulation. This method has its roots in Eastern medicine and is considered a religious practice in Islam, most commonly applied to the areas of the head, neck, and back.It is believed that hijama helps with various ailments, such as back pain, headaches, and hypertension.
Social media is filled with numerous advertisements for hijama sessions. "The first bloodletting always shows dark blood. In the second and third procedures, the blood becomes bright, and the head feels light," some practitioners promise.
However, unlike adults, small children cannot make decisions about their health on their own and are entirely dependent on their parents' choices.
How long the parents entrusted their son's life to folk healers and how long the procedures lasted remains unknown. According to doctors, the situation turned tragic.
The child was urgently hospitalized on January 21 in critical condition with bleeding and shock. The hemoglobin level dropped to 45, while the normal range is 110-120. Unfortunately, despite the doctors' efforts, they could not save the baby, and he passed away the next morning. Law enforcement is currently investigating the case.
Unsafe practice
Bermet Bariktabasova, an expert in evidence-based medicine, asserts that this case is not an accident but a predictable risk arising from the use of methods that lack scientific justification, especially concerning children.She emphasizes that hijama is not a medical method and carries a 100% risk to a child's health.
“The procedure is performed using sharp instruments, which in non-sterile conditions can lead to serious infections,” she warns.
“Bloodletting was popular in the Middle Ages when there were no alternatives. Modern medicine considers risks and benefits, but even doctors sometimes resort to this practice, believing it to be beneficial. Adults can choose, but cutting and bleeding a two-month-old infant is violence,” the expert adds.
The popularity of quack healers is explained by the deep ignorance of parents and insufficient oversight from authorities.
Bermet Bariktabasova
“Children with various disorders are subjected to executions—from exorcising jinns to incisions. People believe that such practices are approved by higher powers, forgetting that this is a thing of the past,” she emphasizes.
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“In medicine, there is no concept of ‘bad blood’; it all depends on a person's lifestyle and health. For adults, bloodletting does not cause serious changes, but for infants, even a small loss of blood can be catastrophic,” she adds.
Sultan Stambekov, head of the pediatric oncology department, has also encountered cases where children were subjected to such procedures.
“Parents often turn to both doctors and healers. In oncology, this can lead to serious consequences—deterioration of health when time is critical. This is related to ignorance, distrust of official medicine, and the influence of social media,” he noted.
According to Akylbek Mamanov, chief physician of the City Children's Clinical Hospital for Emergency Medical Care, cases of hijama among children have not been recorded in recent years.
“I hope that the level of awareness among parents is increasing, as we constantly conduct preventive measures and encourage consultations with doctors. The Ministry of Health is working with spiritual organizations. Personally, I refuse hijama as it is dangerous. There is no guarantee of sterility; only hospitals have infection control,” he added.
By the way, during the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts were made to use hijama to treat this disease in Kyrgyzstan. “This is not a medical method. Mostly, hijama is performed by people without medical education,” emphasized one member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contraindications for the procedure
As explained by neonatologist Ainara Dooronbekova, hijama is not included in clinical protocols, and there are no specialized medical institutions for its implementation in Kyrgyzstan.She listed the indications and contraindications for the procedure:
- oncological diseases;
- blood disorders, including hemophilia;
- serious pathologies of internal organs;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- use of anticoagulants;
- deep vein thrombosis;
- mental disorders;
- pregnant and nursing women, as well as children, especially newborns.
Diseases for which hijama may be used:
- osteochondrosis;
- radiculitis;
- arthritis;
- hypertension;
- varicose veins.
“It should be a light and harmless procedure for adults,” Ainara Dooronbekova explained. “However, hijama should not be performed on children. Newborns may cry and be distressed, and some grandmothers advise parents to perform hijama to ‘release bad blood.’ This is a myth! Bloodletting is absolutely contraindicated for children, especially newborns,” she added.
What to do?
Sultan Stambekov believes it is necessary to combat this practice through informing citizens and organizing awareness campaigns.Bermet Bariktabasova suggests that the Ministry of Health impose a strict ban on any aggressive interventions concerning children.
“It is necessary to prohibit procedures that violate the integrity of the skin and create safe conditions for children's development. Parents can pray and consult doctors, but they should not put their children in danger,” she concluded.
