Unani system of medicine is quite popular among the masses. The practitioners of Unani Medicine, scattered all over the country, form an integral part of national health care delivery structure. Registration of the Unani practitioners is maintained by the State Boards of Indian Medicine. The Central Register is maintained by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), New Delhi. Registration of the practitioners is renewed at intervals and Central Register updated. At present, there are 45011 registered Unani practitioners in the country..

Presently, 21 States/Union Territories in the country have Unani hospitals/dispensaries. The total number of hospitals functioning in the country is 262 with a total bed-strength of 4671. There are 1019 Unani Dispensaries. State-wise statistics of Hospitals (with No. of beds)/Dispensaries is given in the following table. These hospitals/dispensaries are either being run by the State Governments or local bodies.

The education and training facilities in Unani system of medicine are presently being monitored by the Central Council of Indian Medicine, which is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament known as Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. One of the objectives of the Central Council of Indian Medicine is to prescribe minimum educational standards in Indian systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Tib besides advising the Central Government on matters relating to recognition (including withdrawal) of medical qualifications in the second schedule of the Indian Medicine Council Act, 1970. The undergraduate course in Unani Medicine leading to award of Kamil-e-Tib-o- Jarahat (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surger y) is being governed by Indian Medicine Central Council Amendment Regulations 1995. Postgraduate courses leading to award of Mahir-e-Tib (Doctor of Medicine) and Mahire- Jarahat (Master of Surgery) are being governed by Indian Medicine Central Council Postgraduate Unani Education Regulations 2007. The set up for Unani Medicine in the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) comprises of a Vice-President from Unani system elected by the members of the CCIM. There is a Unani Education Committee headed by Chairman Education Committee, which looks into the matters related to standards, syllabus, courses and infrastructures of Unani colleges and makes suggestions/recommendations. The Vice- President (Unani) also nominates members of the CCIM to visit colleges for on-the-spot assessment of infrastructures and facilities and make recommendations for continuation/withdrawal of permission for the next session under section 13-C of CCIM Act and also make recommendation for opening new colleges of higher courses/ increase of number of seats under Section 13-A to the Government. At present, there are 41 recognized colleges of Unani Medicine – including National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Bangalore – in the country, which provide education and training facilities in the system. These colleges have a total admission capacity of 1750 students per year for undergraduate courses. They are either Government institutions or set up by voluntary organizations. All these educational institutions are affiliated to different universities. The curriculum prescribed by the Central Council of Indian Medicine is followed by these institutions.

The programme of drug standardization is mainly concerned with evolving pharmacopoeial standards of single and compound Unani drugs included in various volumes of National Formulary of Unani Medicine and simultaneously to test the drugs under trial in the Council’s Clinical Research Units/Institutes and being manufactured in the pharmacy of Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Hyderabad. Simultaneously, chemical investigations of Unani medicinal plants as well as toxicity studies are also carried out under this programme. Standardization work for single drugs and compound formulations is carried out in accordance with the format approved by Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee of the Government of India, because the standards so developed are incorporated in the Unani Pharmacopoeia of India.

There are about 324 licensed pharmacies manufacturing Unani drugs in different parts of the country. Besides, Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL), Mohan (Uttrakhand) – a Government of India Undertaking – is one of the major manufactures of Unani drugs, which caters to the needs of the Central Government dispensaries. Unani pharmacies run by the State Governments are also functioning in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Out of the 324 license pharmacies 88 have obtained GMP certification.