Try traditional and alternative health care - DOH

Traditional medicines and health care practices have long been part of the country’s system passed on from generation to generation.

In 1997, in line with the policy of the state to improve the quality and delivery of health care services to the Filipino people, Republic Act 8423 otherwise known as Traditional and Alternative Medical Act of 1997 was enacted. The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) was also established.

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Today, there are now accredited practitioners of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (TAHC) modalities such as massage therapy and acupuncture and through PITAHC, the Department of Health (DOH) is now advocating for the use of 10 herbal medicines with approved therapeutic value. These include akapulco (ringworm bush), ampalaya (bitter gourd), bawang (garlic), bayabas (guava), lagundi (five-leaf chaste tree), niyog-niyogan (Chinese Honey Suckle), sambong (Blumea Campora), yerba buena (pepper mint), pansit-pansitan, and tsaang gubat.

With the country’s rich and diverse culture, as well as flora and fauna, the DOH believes that there are more herbal plants with medicinal value and indigenous traditional health care practices that have not yet been discovered or properly researched and documented.

This was pointed out by Teresita Foman-eg, nurse of DOH-CAR, to the representatives of various agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and educational institutions during the regional Healthy Lifestyle (HL) coalition meeting at the DOH Regional Training Center, Tuesday.

Foman-eg called on the HL coalition members to help in the advocacy of TAHC in their respective agencies, offices, institutions, or communities. She also urged educational institutions to share with them any student or institution research that involves TAHC so that together with the government, through PITAHC, they could work together for the advancement of such research.

Aside from research, it is also the DOH’s objective to further intensify the advocacy on the use of TAHC and to fully integrate it into the country’s health care system, Foman-eg said.

Moreover, the DOH is also pushing for the listing (accreditation and licensing) of traditional and alternative practitioners in the country.

In Baguio City, there are two accredited acupuncture therapy practitioners – Dr. Manuel Quirino of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and Dr. Charles Cheng of the Baguio Chinese Hospital, according to Foman-eg.

For massage therapy, Foman-eg admitted that they are still working on the listing of the licensed massage therapists in establishments here in the city offering such service.

This November, the DOH is leading the observance of Traditional and Health Care Month. - (PIA / Lito Dar)

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