Government may recognize alternative healer unions<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ubiquitous traditional healers who often conduct their trade
\nfurtively could soon get more freedoms, as the government is
\nmulling over a plan to give them licenses to work openly.<\/p>\n
Azrul Azwar, director general of the community health
\nsupervisory committee at the Ministry of Health said here on
\nFriday that the government would issue licenses based on
\nrecommendations from associations of traditional and alternative
\nhealers.<\/p>\n
"The centers would recommend to the ministry whether a healer
\nshould be given a permit or not," Azrul said.<\/p>\n
The government is slated to officially recognize 24
\ntraditional\/alternative healer associations throughout the
\ncountry next month, said the former chairman of the Indonesian
\nMedical Doctors Association (IDI).<\/p>\n
The idea to acknowledge the associations so we can supervise
\nand monitor them, hence protecting patients from bogus
\npractitioners.<\/p>\n
The country has an estimated total of 280,000 traditional and
\nalternative healers based on a 1997 survey.<\/p>\n
The ministry defines the healers based on their skills (such
\nas masseurs), medicinal (such as those that prescribe jamu or
\nother herbal medicine), religious healers (such as kyai or
\npriests) and supernatural healers (paranormal, psychics or those
\nusing inner energy such as reiki).<\/p>\n
Traditional and alternative healing has for thousands of years
\nbeen part of life in many of different societies throughout the
\nIndonesian archipelago. When modern doctors were introduced by
\nthe Dutch colonial government in the 19th Century, traditional
\nhealers were by no means marginalized, because there were not and
\nstill are not enough doctors who practice Western medicine in the
\ncountry. In fact, Indonesia is still desperately short of modern
\nmedical doctors.<\/p>\n
The 1997 economic crisis, coupled with the rising price of
\nmedicines has increased the number of people relying more on
\naffordable alternative healers.<\/p>\n
But an interesting trend has been recorded.<\/p>\n
"The number of medical people, including doctors, who learn
\nalternative healing, has also been on the increase in recent
\nyears," Azrul said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Marius Widjajanto, spokesman of the Indonesian
\nHealth Consumer Empowerment Foundation, expressed doubts that the
\ngovernment would manage to establish associations of alternative
\nhealers.<\/p>\n
"It would be difficult to classify them. The paranormal would
\nalso be difficult to organize," Marius told The Jakarta Post on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
He also said that the plan to acknowledge the associations
\nwould violate Law No. 23\/1992 which excludes traditional and
\nalternative healers from the national health system.<\/p>\n
Instead of regulating psychics and paranormal healers, Marius
\nsaid, the government should streamline the chaotic regulations
\nand ethics applied to medical doctors.<\/p>\n
Recently, a paranormal healer canceled his plan to build a Rp
\n10 billion (US$1.1 million) hospital, which he claimed would be
\nthe largest in Southeast Asia, because he ran into financial
\ndifficulties.<\/p>\n
Tb. Barce, head of the Banten branch of the Indonesian
\nParanormal Association, boasted that the hospital would have been
\nable to treat numerous diseases including people affected by
\nAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-may-recognize-alternative-healer-unions-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}