11/10/2005
Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Author: Asia Pulse
The Philippine Department of Health has cited the benefits and effectiveness of alternative medicines.
"The poor and the rich should be able to access the same quality and level of care. Alternative health care modalities are safe, effective, but most importantly are accessible to all," said secretary Francisco Duque III.
He cited acupuncture, massage or meditation, which have gained popularity among young Filipinos as a comprehensive, holistic form of treatment "It traverses all levels of care, namely preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care," he added.
Also widely accepted now is Lamaze Birthing which help prevent complications during childbirth.
Furthermore, this method is currently adopted by hospital-based medical practitioners.
Diagnostic options like the Navarro Beta hCG Urine Cancer Test can detect the presence of cancer even three to four years before any physical symptom develops.
On the other hand, medicinal plants have always been a part of Filipino culture.
Plants like sambong and lagundi had been a subject of extensive research among Filipino scientists.
Sambong was proven to aid in dissolving kidney stones, cure urinary tract infection, and is an excellent diuretic.
Lagundi, on the other hand, is used in treating fever, asthma, cough, and bronchitis.
There are now four herbal processing plants situated in Tuguegarao, Tacloban, Davao, and Cotabato that manufacture herbal products.
He said that the cost of mainstream conventional medicine, commonly tagged as western medicine is still beyond the reach of many Filipino families.
"This is so even when healthcare costs locally are much lower when compared to the US and other developed countries," he said.
Under the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997, it is the clear policy of the state to accelerate the development of traditional and alternative health care and to integrate it into the national health care delivery system, he said, adding that conventional medicine does not have the monopoly nor all the right answers to good health.
"The law does not mean or intend to replace conventional medicine with alternative medicine," Duque explained.
He said the law is meant to allow alternative and conventional medicine to co-exist, offering patients, especially the poor, hope.
The law provides doctors to practice evidence-based alternative medicine without fear of government persecution.
However, the DOH cautions the public to be wary of those allegedly practicing different modes of health care that are not acceptable nor accredited by the DOH or its attached agency, the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC).
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