Medical Pluralism: Theoretical perspectives and real situation in relationships

with Public Health viewpoint

Course Name: Medical Pluralism; Course Code: PHI-411

Department of Public Health and Informatics

Jahangirnagar University

03 December, 2021

Submitted to-
Submitted by-
Zahirul Islam
Md. Sabith Hasan Khan Adjunct Associate Professor
Dept.of Public Health &Informatics
Dept. of Public Health & Informatics
Jahangirnagar University
Class Roll: 2193 Savar, Dhaka-1342
Reg No: 45949
Session: 2016-2017
Jahangirnagar University
Medical Pluralism: Theoretical perspectives and real situation in relationships
with Public Health viewpoint

INTRODUCTION: Basically, medical pluralism is the existence of several health systems in a

given society. Different cultures see and treat medical problems in different ways, and the
intersection of these approaches allows for medical pluralism. Western health systems are
considered biomedical, and traditional health systems, originating in other parts of the world, are
labeled as complementary or alternative medicine. Medical pluralism has no specific origin. In
early civilizations, the medical system was used by individuals based on their social and
economic status in society, the poor used traditional medicine and the rich used it formal school.
In the early colonial period of India, the introduction of the Western system by the British
replaced Ayurveda treatment for the wealthy, but traditional medicine continued to exist for the
poor. Throughout society, medical pluralism has spread and integrated practices have evolved.
Although biomedicine has become the mainstream form of standardized treatment, the
integration of traditional medical practices, such as deep breathing and acupuncture, has become
formal. In the United States, it was not until the 1950s that complementary or alternative
medicine methods began to be integrated into the formal health system.

METHODOLOGY: The information in this report is taken from the online websites, Google
and various types of articles. There are limitations due to lack of information regarding this
report. I have read more than 12 articles, literatures and 3 different websites related to this report.
In this report, I have organized it systematically and I present firstly a theoretical perspective and
then a situation related to the public health point of view. The concept of medical pluralism
implies that in any community, patients and their caregivers may use different types of therapy,
even if they have mutually incompatible explanations for their symptoms.

RESULT: Many alternative therapists do not want to be integrated into the modern health care
system. They don't even expect the government to help with medical practice. A strong
community voice advocates that alternative therapists are not affiliated with national health
systems or city health centers. Alternate healers always interact with each other, and if they fail
to heal a patient, they hand over responsibility to a stronger healer. Alternative therapists have
different skill levels. However, while some alternative therapists suggest that you see a
biomedical doctor if the situation worsens, biomedical doctors refer you to a specialist for
serious illness and do not rely or rely on alternative therapists. As the dominant healthcare
system, biomedicine is prioritized above traditional systems leaving little room for collaboration.

DISCUSSION: An understanding of medical pluralism is important to public health

practitioners both at home and abroad, especially when working with immigrant populations and
in developing countries. Recent efforts in this area have focused on integrating conventional care
and CAM to deliver the best health outcomes. In the Ucayali region of Peru, an NGO focused on
integrating local shamanistic practices with the hygiene requirements of Western medicine to
reduce stunting. By incorporating shamanistic practices and biomedical principles, the region
experienced an 11-fold increase in stunting. This form of medical pluralism was based on
shamanistic practices, including hygiene guidelines, to educate indigenous peoples about
nutrition and health. Incorporating this important information into traditional medicine practices
can improve health outcomes and lower health care costs by engaging patients. This example
provides reasons for a broader understanding and acceptance of medical pluralism and illustrates
the true benefits of a patient-centered approach that respects the capabilities of traditional
practice.

Medical pluralism describes the existence of a variety of medical approaches, treatments, and
institutions that people can use to pursue health. For example, a combination of biomedical and
so-called traditional or alternative medicine. A closer look at how people deal with illness by
choosing home remedies, evidence-based medicines, religious remedies, and other alternatives
reveals that some degree of medical pluralism exists in all modern societies. Medical pluralism
as a concept underlies the field of medical anthropology, born out of the study of non-Western
medical traditions and their interactions with biomedical science. Among of the medical
personnel who responded are working as volunteer medical personnel and dentists in polyclinics,
respectively. At the same time, they act as Chilo and Alvolario in the community. One of them
said that the number of patients is decreasing due to the establishment of an urban health center
in the neighborhood, but that does not mean that it is an uncomfortable situation. When she goes
to the hospital out of her respect for doctors, she doesn't prescribe anything or provide alternative
therapies to her patients. But she treats her family and prescribes her herbs. Another alternative
therapist says he sometimes massages his patients. Even in the clinic, in an informal setting, at
leisure or in the late afternoon when the clinic is less crowded and there are no doctors in the
office. He also advises treating family members and consulting a doctor in case of serious
injuries. Participating in a city's general clinic or routine health care does not significantly affect
alternative care. Most alternative therapists are happy with the existence of medical centers. This
negatively affects patients or care. Most of the community respondents also do not find a
contradiction between biomedical medicine and alternative therapists and the fact that they work
in parallel.

CONCLUSION: Medical pluralism provides an important basis for moving away from the
reductionist dichotomy of biomedical and ethno medical, or the West versus the rest. From this
perspective, biomedicine can be seen as another tradition, one of many options used by patients
around the world. The need for medical pluralism to meet the needs of the widest range of
people while respecting the diversity of health care options is clear, and research into the use of
alternative systems could reinforce this claim. There are many alternative therapists who serve
large numbers of patients every day, but their health care systems are very fragmented and
individualistic. There are no state-level licenses, registrations, or laws for them. This situation
also increases the social gap between physicians and alternative therapists. Modern doctors tend
to ignore it because they do not believe in or rely on the experience of alternative therapists.
However, this does not mean that this ignorance increases the tension situation between the two
groups. Alternative therapists respect modern physicians, but do not want to be integrated into
the mainstream healthcare system. They remain parallel but prefer to be separated.

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