Plan to Regularise Alternative Medicine Practice

[Guest guest]

Plan to Regularise Alternative Medicine Practice

Suad Hamada

16 October 2008

 

 

MANAMA - Gulf states are drafting a law to regularise alternative and

traditional medicine in the region and will take a similar bill being

reviewed in Bahrain as a model.

 

Member of the Executive Authority for the GCC Minister of Health

Council Hala Al Mahza told a seminar early this week that five Gulf

countries supported the immediate drafting of the law, while Saudi

Arabia suggested reviewing the matter before drafting the

legislation. She said that Bahrain's bill was considered as a model

because of the similarity of Gulf societies.

 

Plans to regulate the alternative medicine practice come as part of a

plan to ensure the safety of the public with the increasing

popularity of herbal treatment.

 

Head of Registration and Licence at the Ministry of Health Dr Tawfeeq

Naseeb told the seminar that decision makers were interested in

regularising traditional and alternative medicine. " Gulf Health

Ministries would form committees to supervise the sector that runs

for centuries in the region through home remedies and herbal shops as

well as treatments that are part of Islamic tradition, " he

explained. " We have been supporting the alternative medicine to

improve it to meet international standards. "

 

In regard of Bahrain's law Dr Naseeb said: " We have consulted the

public and concerned bodies in drafting the law. With the approval of

the new law, the license department would issue new licenses for

qualified doctors in alternative medicine, which would directly solve

the shortage of manpower in this sector. "

 

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