Alternative medicare must be holistic and bona fide

Some 467 'fourth class employees' working under the government's 'alternative medicare project,' as gardeners, tending an equal number of plots to grow medicinal plants, are reportedly getting promoted to the next rung as 'medical assistants.' This is as good as turning tailors into surgeons, according to critics. However exaggerated the parallel, the chances of the promoted gardeners functioning as dangerous quacks are quite high, given the country's socio-economic circumstances. It is not that basic health knowledge should be the preserve of formally educated medical graduates only. Pro-people development activists advocate more pragmatic approaches to serving people's health care needs. With only a few specialists at the apex and enough well-trained paramedics, it would be possible to deliver health for all. Indeed, if the proper policy guidelines are in place, even unlettered people might be non-formally educated in primary health care to function as competent health assistants. It would be good for the country where the overwhelming majority are poor rural folk, suffering mostly from common communicable and deficiency diseases that hardly require specialists' attention. But no such vision can be said to inspire the above move, which, allegedly, is being pushed by the medical officer in charge of the project, on receipt of a Tk 40,000 bribe per head from the would-be beneficiaries. And therein lies the danger. Without proper training in holistic health care, these upgraded gardeners could very well join the ranks of 'witch' doctors who often add to the misery of innocent patients with their questionable 'treatments'. Whether the choice is for unani, ayurvedic, homeopathic or allopathic, the strictest regulations must be put in place to guarantee the bona fide of the practitioners so that 'alternative medicare' does not end up in the hands of fraudulent managers, and does more harm than good to people seeking health care. Holistic health activists throughout the world have been stressing the need for everyone to build their own capacities in basic health knowledge so that common illnesses can both be prevented and 'treated' simply through 'home care', balanced diets and wiser lifestyles. Given the global medical crises caused by unnecessary, wrong or over -medication, holistic health advocates do deserve attention. While ordinary folk could be trained thoroughly and holistically for the purpose, a comprehensive health science course at school, could , and should be designed to equip the young with the knowledge and skills to take care of themselves as well as the environment around them. This would make a world of difference. For ordinary school graduates would then be able to function like 'barefoot doctors' too, coping with most of their primary health needs. It would be quite possible to address Bangladesh's health crisis with only a handful of specialists at the top and a reasonable number of general practitioners spread out across the country, if the health science course is comparable to the ones used by 'world class' school examination boards, and is taught and learnt seriously.