Hyderabad, June 27 -- It was a day like any other. Early morning, Muhammad had reached his rice mill to begin working on a consignment whose deadline was looming ahead. As he crouched down to start sieving the grains, he felt a dull ache in his abdomen. Assuming it was a cramp, he continued grinding and sieving the rice. Muhammad had been facing incessant swelling on his legs for some time now.

The local clinician had advised him to have his kidneys examined. However, seeking expensive clinical consultation is not a privilege for all. Muhammad and his wife Tabassum decided to pursue Unani treatment instead. The relatively inexpensive Unani medicines brought relief. Meanwhile, Muhammad continued to gain weight, and despite moderate improv...