By Lakshmi Kothaneth — MUSCAT: Feb 19 - Spiritual therapy is a requirement with an urgency, according to a study conducted in Oman.
Spiritual therapy affects quality of life, said Dr Asiya al Riyami, a board member of Oman Cancer Association (OCA), who has more than 30 published papers in peer-reviewed international journals in public health areas. “We need to utilise spiritual therapy in Oman because we have done a study in Oman about the quality of life of the breast cancer patients. From this study, we came out with different themes. The first was family and spiritual. The people who participated in the survey said they wanted their families around them and wanted to pray more,” said Dr Asiya.
The first-ever workshop on spirituality in palliative care, organised by OCA, is being attended by doctors, nurses, health practioners, religious scholars, members form Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, members from Islamic Information Center at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, volunteers, survivors and family members of cancer patients.
Healthcare experts at the workshop said spiritual care is an integral component of the overall care provided to patients in healthcare institutions.
It is a “complementary medical approach” that looks into the causes of wellness more than the cause of the illness. It means helping people to enjoy a better lifestyle and inner peace by adopting self-care and harmony of their own values.
“In addition to the traditional lecture, we are providing counselling skills and an insight into how to deal with patients psychologically. So one has to assess the patient by giving him a chance to express himself because it is a combination of many things,” explained Dr Asya.
Dr Anne Derke Rose, a specialist in internal medicine and psychosomatic medicine, and a medical advisor in the German Federal Pension Fund, says, “Often, the mind can influence the physical state and even though you have a severe disease you might feel good and lead a good life even in a palliative kind of situation.
My idea is that it is not only important to support the patients, but also the family surrounding them because the care of a patient is dependent not only upon the hospital, but also with the family and community.
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