Integrative medicine be made part of curriculum: experts

MN Report

KARACHI- Medical experts at a seminar on `Integrative Medicine’ held at Dow Medical College, said that many diseases’ burden can be controlled by using integrative medicine at a very nominal cost.

“Integrative medicine, a combination of conventional medicine and alternative medicine, is spreading fast across the world as it plays an important role in treating many diseases,” they added.

The seminar was addressed, among othes, by  Pakistan Council for Sciences & Technology’s chairman Prof Anwar-ul- Hassan Gilani, Dow University of Health Sciences’ vice chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan and Hamdard University’s vice chancellor Prof Hakim Abdul Hanan. It was largely attended by faculty members, general practitioners and medical students.

Medical experts said that 50  per cent of the world population is using integrative medicine and, as such, there is a need to include integrative medicine in medical curriculum of the country.

They were of the view that the diseases which lack medicinal treatment were being cured by integrative medicine. The country cannot resolve its health care problems without having the strategy which is useful as well as cost-effective, they opined.

Highlighting the importance of integrative medicine, Prof Masood Hameed said that Dow University would set up Integrative Medicine department where experts will provide training to doctors on the medicine, besides the DUHS would include one module of integrative medicine in MBBS curriculum.