The role of traditional medicine in health services

In addition to formal health services, in Indonesia there are also traditional health care can not be ignored by the government. In the year 1982 is estimated there are more than 100 000 traditional medicine spread across 60 000 villages and cities in Indonesia. There are traditional ways of treatment with either drug potions native to Indonesia and outside Indonesia. Fitoterapi is the term used for the treatment with the drug ingredient derived from plants and has been proven to be usefulness.

In addition there is a spiritual or mystic media and others use the equipment or the same stimulus. Perhaps the traditional health care has provided a standard of education or training is reflection acupuncture and massage.

In 1978, according to the international kesehetan Agency, traditional medicine is the science and art of medicine based on the set of knowledge and practical experience, both which can be explained scientifically or not. In making a diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the imbalance of physical, mental and social. The main guide is a practical experience, ie from the observation that passed on from generation to generation either orally or in writing.

Unlike countries such as China, Korea, India and Sri Lanka to enforce a traditional medicine in the manner and the formal health care system. Plants and other natural materials has long been used in treatment. Traditional medicine in China in addition to acupuncture also use plants as medicine. The same is seen in many countries where society is still strongly believe in traditional medicine. In Indonesia at present the efforts of traditional medical services with traditional medicine play a role at the household level and community level. The government has also put traditional medicine into the formal health care system. For example the Ministry of Health has launched a program  Herbal Health Center entrance. Currently herbal medicine used in Traditional Medicine Clinic Dr.Sutomo, and several health centers in Surabaya and Jember Jombang. Several large hospitals in Jakarta has also been providing herbal remedies. There are also clinics as herb Herbal Clinic is Karyasari Consultation Center Medical Use of Medicinal Plants that are served by doctors. Former stems from a medicinal plant garden in Bogor Karyasari (November 1996) are now focused on the production of herbal medicines, training, agro-tourism and to study literature and information gathering medicinal plants. Now even been developed in several branches in Jakarta

In developed countries, for example in the United States, herbal medicine is very rapid development since the 1990s. Medicinal herbs and other natural products has increased to 380% (1990-1997) and continued to increase until now. Hopefully.