By Kabeer Yousuf — MUSCAT: May 10 - Allopathy was considered the only panacea for all ills earlier. But the trend seems to be changing with both citizens and expats exploring complementary and alternative medicine these days. The signs are evident: an increase in the number of homoeopathy and ayurveda clinics across the country. “Indeed, there has been an increase in the number of clinics offering alternative medicine in the last few years,” says Said al Balushi (name changed) who owns a hospital with a homoeo division. He was running under loss till some years ago until he started a homoeo clinic at his hospital.
“There weren’t many takers for homoeopathy. We launched awareness and social media campaigns. Now we are on the right track,” he said.
An increase in the number of people travelling out of Oman, growth of media and more people gaining education coupled with health-consciousness have helped homoeopathy and ayurveda win confidence of the Omani people, according to Al Balushi.
“I used to find it difficult to get patients initially. Today, we find it difficult to accommodate one extra patient in our appointments schedule,” says Dr Shamila, an ayurvedic practitioner in Ruwi. “I found it really interesting after visiting a couple of centres in India and here,” Ahmed al Sheraikhi, an entrepreneur.
Now he has opened an ayurvedic centre called Al Manara in Al Khoudh. “I want to share this medicinal branch called ayurveda with the people of Oman and that’s why I started my own ayurveda centre.”
According to experts, what makes ayurvedic medicine different is it is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between mind, body and spirit.
“Why ayurveda doesn’t have any side effects is because it has no artificial substances or elements,” says KA Jaleel Gurukkal, chief physician at PKM Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre, an ayurvedic centre he inherited over two generations. “All medicines are extracted from trees, roots and leaves.”
Yet another alternative medicine, Hijama, said to be over 1,400 years old, is gaining popularity in recent years. About 25 Hijama centres are offering their services today.
Now, colleges and universities are offering courses in homoeopathy, ayurveda and hijama.
The College of Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University is offering bachelor programmes in alternative medicine.
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