DOH now promotes use of alternative treatment

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines - The Department of Health is now aggressively pushing government doctors to prescribe herb-based medicines to their patients.

This was recently revealed by Jocelyn Abellana, head of the special concerns program of DOH-7 and regional coordinator for the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC).

PITAHC is a government-owned and controlled corporation attached with the DOH and holds proprietary license for the production of herbal medicines.

Abellana said that since the DOH identified and endorsed ten local herbs as medicines, PITAHC has been advocating for these to be integrated into mainstream medicine practice. Due to the lack of medical representatives to sell these medicines, however, the popularity of these products has not taken off.

"Kini nga mga herbal medicines, medicines na gyud ni siya nga na-register sa Philippine National Drug Formulary. Dili lang ni sila mga food supplement," she clarified. Abellana explained that once a drug is entered into the database of PNDF, its effectivity in treating illnesses has already been proven and can then be prescribed by doctors for treating patients.

These herbs are: akapulko, used to treat fungal infections; ampalaya, for non-insulin dependent diabetes; garlic, for hypertension; guava, as antiseptic for wound disinfection and to control tooth decay and gum infection; lagundi for cough and asthma; niyog-niyogan to eliminate intestinal worms; sambong for urinary stones; tsaang-gubat for intestinal motility and fluoride supplementation; ulasimang bato for gout and arthritis; and yerba buena as analgesic.

Abellana said the DOH is also in its last stage of testing tawa-tawa for the treatment of dengue and the use of black pepper to control dengue-carrying mosquitoes, even if these herbs are now considered medicines.

"Amo ning sugdan sa mga government doctors," she said adding that Negros Oriental serves as the pilot site of the project that aims to encourage municipal health officers to integrate alternative treatments into their practice of western medicine.

Provincial Board member Liland Zoila Bustamante-Estacion, a physician by profession who is chair of the PB health committee and a board director of the Provincial Hospital, said that while popularity of supplements increases, doctors should start exploring the possibility of incorporating alternative treatment methods into their practice.

"If this is what it takes to protect our patients from unscrupulous businessmen banking on the popularity of supplements, then perhaps we should start to open our minds," she said in a meeting with municipal health officers from various towns and cities of the province.

Estacion said: "It is about time for us to embrace the reality that alternative medicine is gaining ground… it is becoming more in-demand because western medicine is becoming more unaffordable."

Abellana, however, admitted that herbs can only be used for chronic conditions or as maintenance drugs. "Dili ni sila magamit for acute cases kay kinahanglan man na og dali nga action," which, she said, c

annot be achieved by herbal medicines whose action is slow.

Abellana also said that currently the challenge being faced in the practice of traditional medicine is the lack of research, but the DOH has started working with the Department of Science and Technology to address this concern. To help popularize the use of alternative methods of treatment, the DOH is also pushing for the accreditation of these treatment methods with PhilHealth.