THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Nov. 28: P P Hembrom, 94, known for his five decades of work to revive ethno medicine of the tribal community of Jharkhand, passed away on Thursday evening.
A former forest officer, he had extensive knowledge of herbs and plants along with their medicinal usage in India. He had authored ethnomedicine books in seven volumes, published by the Science and Technology dept, government of India, in 2003.
The Jharkhand govt had sent his name for the Padma Shri award but had been not nominated.
He was credited with having developed herbal medicine for many deadly diseases, and a medicine developed for kalazar had been lab-tested and popularized.
Also Read: Veteran JMM MLA Stephen Marandi is Protem Speaker in Jharkhand
He was a life member of the Society of Ethnobotanists, India. He had been awarded the Hershberger Award given in the US for his work in ethnomedicine.
He hailed from Torpa, but resided in Giridih.
He was the first batch of Science graduates of St Xavier’s College Ranchi.
He is credited with having single-handedly revived, preserved and promoted the ethnomedicine of the tribal society of Jharkhand. During his long work, he trained more than a lakh ethnomedicine practitioners on how to be scientific in approach.