Alternative medical treatment

The Center for Healing & Integrative Medicine (Asia), Inc. or CHI Med was put up because of a promise.

"When the best of medical science gave up on my sister, I vowed after the funeral to search for alternative solutions that would help other terminally-ill patients and their families," said president Teresa Mendoza.

The original plan was to put up a foundation. After a year, it was incorporated as a business with an initial capital of P1.5 million. It started commercial operations in June 2004 with a staff of two doctors and two nurses.

"Initially, we thought of establishing a health farm but the investment was too high. We decided to dry-run our operation in Metro Manila instead," said Mendoza.

Aside from Mendoza, who used to work for a non-profit organization, CHI Med founders are family members such as sister, Teresa McKenzie, and brother-in-law, Robert McKenzie, and doctor, Rosario Austria.

Expansion

>Today, the company has a staff of four doctors, three nurses, and five therapists. The original list of service offerings, including acupuncture, has doubled as new technologies applied abroad have been introduced locally.

"We are focused on integrative medicine or on combining alternative solutions with medical science," said Mendoza. "Our doctors diagnose every patient in a holistic way. The medical consultation thoroughly looks into the lifestyle, environment, nutrition, and psycho-emotional factors contributing to the health of the body."

The CHI Med approach favors strengthening the body’s immune system and the removal of three major toxins that are deemed incompatible with good health: heavy metals, chemicals, and parasites that include all harmful microorganisms.

Most frequently requested are non-invasive detoxification and immune system boosting procedures such as colon hydrotherapy, that physically cleanses all three segments of the large intestine, and chelation, that is supposed to remove heavy metals from the blood stream.

Relationship

Professional fees of between P300 and P500 are competitively priced.

Among repeat customers are cancer and heart disease patients as well healthy individuals seeking to prevent hereditary illnesses.

"Our patients like the strong, friendly relationship they have with our doctors. They are encouraged to go for regular check-ups. They feel confident that their health is in the hands of competent and caring practitioners who really spend time with them," said Mendoza. "We do not see ourselves as competing with conventional medical practitioners. We complement and integrate whatever will work for the good of the patient. Each person has a unique biological profile."

With alternative medicine now legal in California and in parts of Europe, the local alternative medicine industry is poised for growth, especially as part of the country’s medical tourism program.

"We want to establish our own training center for doctors and nurses, as well as to lobby insurance companies and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to cover or give importance to preventive care rather than in-patient care or hospitalization," said Mendoza.