The Ministry of Health is in the process of issuing a regulation to govern the practice of what it called the ‘Traditional Medicine’ within the realm of healthcare. According to health sources, the Ministry aims to establish modern standards and controls for the practitioners in this field.
This initiative stems from Article 24 of Law No. 70/2020, which falls under the Law on Practicing the Medical Profession and Auxiliary Professions. This particular article mandates the Ministry of Health to regulate the licensing and practice of traditional and complementary medicine, reports Al-Rai daily.
The Ministry will ensure that these practices adhere to specified requirements and controls as defined by the relevant regulatory guidelines. These guidelines will also outline the criteria and foundations for treatment facilities that are allowed to engage in this type of healthcare activity.
In this endeavor, the Ministry is dedicated to collaborating with the World Health Organization and coordinating with Gulf countries where the profession of traditional and complementary medicine is authorized.
The World Health Organization actively supports the development of national policies related to guidelines for traditional medicine.
It’s important to note that traditional medicine is indeed one of the professions permitted by the aforementioned profession practice law. However, the Ministry of Health’s oversight role necessitates the implementation of precautionary measures to safeguard society from practices that fall outside the permissible scope of each specialty.
It’s worth mentioning that several countries in Europe, China, Malaysia, the United States, and Canada already offer various scientific degrees in traditional and complementary medicine and phytotherapy (phytotherapy is the use of plants or herbs to manage health conditions. It also refers to substances that come from plants or herbs. Medicinal plants and herbs are a form of complementary medicine. These are therapies that you can receive alongside traditional Western medicine.)