- Title: EGYPT: Cairo clinic introduces the concept of holistic medicine to its clients
- Date: 17th April 2013
- Summary: CAR WITH DOCTORS FROM REVIVE ARRIVING AT EGYPT'S CITY OF THE DEAD IN SAYYED AESHA NEIGHBOURHOOD DOCTORS IN REVIVE WITH MEDHAT HAMED FOUNDER OF 'THE WORLD IS MY HOME' CHARITY ORGANIZATION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT REVIVE INTEGRATED MEDICINE, DR. HEBA ELNAZER, SAYING: "We are thinking of working on a year-long project to use integrated medicine in places that are economically challenged or poor. This kind of treatment is about prevention mostly and also partly concerning hygiene, cleanliness, and nutrition. So in poor places, these things are cheaper than visiting a doctor, buying pills, or undergoing a surgical procedure." VARIOUS OF DOCTORS OF REVIVE TEACHING BREATHING EXERCISES TO WOMEN WHO LIVE IN EGYPT'S CITY OF THE DEAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPECIALIST PSYCHIATRIST AND HEAD OF MENTAL HEALTH UNIT IN REVIVE, NAHLA KHALIL, SAYING: "Being poor is enough of an emotional burden on people without having to deal with the country's current situation. This leads to a great extent of violence as well as a number of health issues. So it affects people, society and affects dealing with each other because there is a lot of aggression and violence. So this all starts by us giving proper prevention techniques and also giving the proper primary care." DOCTORS FROM REVIVE WALKING WITH WOMEN INSIDE CITY OF THE DEAD VARIOUS OF NUTRITIONIST RANIA SALEM TEACHING WOMEN HOW TO COOK HEALTHY FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NUTRITIONIST, RANIA SALEM, SAYING: "We (Egyptians) do not have extensive knowledge on how to cook healthy food, meaning that we like dense food that is high in fat because it makes us full. I've also realised that (poor people) eat a lot of potatoes because it is high in carbohydrates and makes them feel full quicker and therefore they won't need to cook as often. But what we're trying to do is to shift the methods of cooking to something healthier." VARIOUS OF WOMEN BEING TAUGHT TO COOK HEALTHY FOOD
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: General,Health
- Reuters ID: LVA3HF3XAWG9L2JPM0K680YLYPCY
- Story Text: The serenely decorated interior of the Revive clinic in Cairo's Zamalek neighbourhood offers a stark contrast to the chaotic city outside.
This centre offers Integrated Medicine in Egypt. It has become a haven for a growing number of patients seeking an alternative approach to Egypt's much criticised health care system.
Founded in 2011 by healthcare pioneer Dr. Heba ElNazer, Revive offers a variety of alternative therapies as well as scientific medical solutions.
And with Egyptians facing more threats to their health than ever due to the political instability and economic depression that has followed the 2011 revolution, many are looking for new solutions to cure their problems.
ElNazer was studying Internal Medicine at Ain Shams University when she discovered Integrated Medicine. Intrigued, she started to delve further, but was discouraged by her instructors, she said.
With its focus on the individual and the way in which every aspect of their life affects their physical and mental well-being, ElNazer found an attractive alternative to the current system.
Egyptian medicine, she said, often has little time for individual patients and focuses on treating symptoms rather than identifying and solving underlying ailments.
"I began looking at alternative (methods of treatment). I looked at holistic concepts of medicine also, until I found what is called Integrated Medicine; which is basically using all forms of treatment, not just pills. It includes awareness, prevention, diet, stress, and emotional and mental health; but at the same time you still have the tools to prescribe pills if that is what needs to be done. So you treat a single patient through a different dynamic and not just treating the symptoms of a stomach ache, a cough or heart disease, for example," she said.
Integrated Medicine brings together so-called alternative therapies, like 'meditation', herbal medicine and acupuncture, with modern medical practice and pharmacology.
'Revive Integrative Medicine', has a 'Mind, Body, Spirit' approach, that focuses on the often overlooked connections between all aspects of an individual's life and mental health in relationship to their physical well-being.
In a country where good and affordable healthcare is hard to find, ElNazer and her team, which includes a Psychiatrist, a Nutritionist and a Physiotherapist, focus on preventative medicine.
Hala Barakaat, a patient and also the clinic's Yoga instructor, said Integrated Medicine is a revelation to Egyptians used to only cursory care.
"I think that (integrated medicine) is a great idea because when a patient goes to a doctor complaining of a back problem, they only treat the back problem, but our minds, bodies and emotions are all connected and that is why everything needs to be treated simultaneously," she said.
The concept of Integrated Medicine is not without its critics and some in the medical profession in the West have criticised its practitioners for offering unproven remedies at the expense of medical science.
But ElNazer said patients do not have to choose between alternative therapy and modern science, but rather are able to benefit from both.
And while the concept may seem new to Egypt, she said the services they offer are actually a revival of the traditional concept of the family doctor, which has been lost in the modern din of urban Cairo.
Doctors traditionally knew their patients much better, she said, and would be deeply familiar with all aspects of their lives - similar to Revive's holistic approach.
In addition to general primary care, Revive offers specific programs in areas such as Women's Health Care and Heart disease prevention and also offers a rehabilitation centre.
While the Revive centre may seem like a luxury for the privileged in Cairo's leafy Zamalek neighbourhood, ElNazer is determined to make sure the clinic's services reach the less privileged.
ElNazer regularly travels to Cairo's poorer neighbourhoods to offer classes on simple and affordable ways for healthier living.
In the City of the Dead, a densely populated poor area, ElNazer and her team meet with local women to discuss affordable preventive healthcare.
"We are thinking of working on a year-long project to use integrated medicine in places that are economically challenged or poor. This kind of treatment is about prevention mostly and also partly concerning hygiene, cleanliness, and nutrition. So in poor places, these things are cheaper than visiting a doctor, buying pills, or undergoing surgical procedures," she said.
Endemic poverty and the added burden of Egypt's current political and economic turmoil have placed added stress on Egypt's struggling working class.
And with that comes other stress-related problems and a greater struggle to put food on the table.
ElNazer and her team work with local women to discuss issues as varied as managing stress using simple breathing techniques, to how to prepare clean affordable meals that offer sufficient nutrition to their families.
Psychiatrist Nahla Khalil said managing stress is essential in communities like this one.
"Being poor is enough of an emotional burden on people without having to deal with the country's current situation. This leads to a great extent of violence as well as a number of health issues. So it affects people, society and affects dealing with each other because there is a lot of aggression and violence. So this all starts by us giving proper prevention techniques and also giving the proper primary care," said Khalil.
But the area in which the Revive team feel they can offer the most tangible help is in food preparation.
Up to 60 percent of diseases come through poor food preparation and lack of nutrition they said, and led by nutritionist Rania Salem, they seek to teach local women how to cook healthy, nutritious meals for their families for as little as 10 Egyptian pounds -- just under 1.5 U.S dollars.
The price of basic foodstuffs has skyrocketed in Egypt, particularly with the sudden devaluation of the Egyptian pound.
As families are less able to afford luxury items like meat, the skills the revive team offer are invaluable.
"We (Egyptians) do not have extensive knowledge on how to cook healthy food, meaning that we like dense food that is high in fat because it makes us full. I've also realised that (poor people) eat a lot of potatoes because it is high in carbohydrates and makes them feel full quicker and therefore they won't need to cook as often. But what we're trying to do is to shift the methods of cooking to something healthier," said Salem.
As Egypt struggles through an extraordinary period of instability, the health risks to both rich and poor have increased considerably.
And as the country's leaders struggle to find solutions to the economic and political crises, the Revive team is doing its part to offer novel solutions to the country's health care problems. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None