Holistic Health Care Projects Worldwide
Holistic health care eis part of HOLISTIC LIVING, where we live in harmony with nature. But true health and prosperity is only possible, when we prevent diseases, live a healthy life and treat diseases naturally from the beginning, using everything nature has to offer. For this we need the knowledge of Holistic Medical Systems such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga, Arabian or European Naturopathy.
These systems operate on the same universal principles and should be part of every physician’s medical education. We need experienced holistic doctors and therapists, who can also teach people, how to stay healthy and help themselves or others with illnesses, especially in regions where medical care is not available. Therefore Holistic Health Care Projects are welcome.
Great Holistic Health Care Projects in South America
One of the biggest projects regarding Holistic Health Care is the INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PROJECT (IHP) from USA. It is a volunteer organization, with the mission of providing access to holistic medicine for people living in underdeveloped areas. IHP was established in 2011 by a group of practitioners, who are passionate about Chinese medicine. IHP is completely run by volunteers. They have no paid staff, but people who love to help and learn about Holistic Medicine.
Dr. Joan Boccino, a certified Acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Practitioner, researcher and educator, is the founder and clinical director of the Integrative Health Project. The main focus of their work is conducting medical missions and training programs in clinics in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially Guatemala and Puerto Rico, where they provided thousands of free treatments for local indigenious people.
For example, they integrate Traditional East Asian Medicine and Mayan medicine in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and Hypertension, In addition the organization provides free training for over 60 local providers in Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture and other types of basic Chinese medicine techniques or holistic treatments, including Yoga, Meditation and different forms of body work.
The IHP also supports local organisations, which work on reducing violence at home and empower women. They established a network of integrative care with local health services and has partnerships with local organizations or the Federal Ministry of Health in Guatemala. They are even sponsoring an english school in the Guatemalan Highlands, the Atitlan Multicultural Academy. Those students are involved in the medical programs by organizing and translating.
Holistic Health Care Projects for more Sensitive Doctors
There are Holistic Health Care Projects, who educate doctor, to think and act in a holistic way, which is necessary to implement a Holistic Health Care System. There are education programs, where doctors are trained in holistic methods, such as Acupuncture, Chinese or Ayurvedic Medicine. There is also a donation-based project in Germany, named “Caring and Healing”, which trains medical students and doctors to develop a holistic way of thinking in diagnoses and treatment of diseases. The goal is to train them to become healing personalities, according to the slogan “Doctors cure the sick, not the illness”.
Conventional Medicine meets Holistic Medicine
Holistic Health Care Projects in allopathic Clinics
The Best of Two Worlds: In Germany there is an amazing project IMBAY-2020, which brings holistic naturopathy and allopathic medicine together in hospitals. For this, there is a cooperation between the University and the University Hospital of Würzburg and Bamberg, to make the best use of the possibilities of conventional medicine and naturopathy.
The holistic approach is about integrating a healthy lifestyle to the therapy of diseases, with techniques for a better stress management and mindfulness in daily activities, good nutrition and physical exercises. Same time the aim is to prevent chronic diseases.
The project focus on three subprojects. One of them deals with the irritable bowel syndrome, another with Crohn’s disease and the third is about surveying, how naturopathic therapies can be implemented in the allopathic system.
Great Vision: Nursing with Love
Holistic Health Care includes loving care, but qualified personal is rare in many countries. Instead of good care the medical staff is overstrained and can´t give the patient the attention or love he or she needs. To guarentee good care of sick and old people, we need to think differently and involve volunteers in patients care, who can get little training in nursing. They can give emotional support to the patient or take over tasks like making bed or giving bath, which need not be done by qualified nurses.
Earlier in war times, housewives and students helped in hospitals and made a great contribution to the care of seriously injured soldiers. Care of patients is possible with less medical expertise. How about friends, neighbors and other volunteers, who have time to talk with the patient. They This would help the nurses to spend more time for wound care or other medical treatments, which needs medical experience.
