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| Dr. Phan Bich Thuy, Pathfinder Program Officer, combining traditional and western medicine in Viet Nam |
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| (Phan Bich Thuy has been working as a Program Officer with Pathfinder and the Reproductive Health Program (RHP) since 1996. She often travels to projects sites around the country to provide encouragement and guidance to clinic staff who, with the assistance of the RHP, are striving to improve the quality of the reproductive health services they provide.) | |
| I can still remember the day, years
ago, when I graduated from the Hanoi Medical Institute and found out that I had been
accepted for my last choice of medical specialization. I was so disappointed that I cried.
After five years of study to become a Western doctor, I had no experience or faith in
traditional medicine. One year later I was at the top of my class, yet I still did not really believe in what I had been studying. Nevertheless, when I was given the choice to work in any hospital or institution, I picked the Viet Nam Traditional Medicine Institute. It was here that I first saw patients cured and was converted into a staunch supporter of traditional health remedies. |
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| The foundation for traditional medicines is based on the philosophy of Yin Yang, which is central to the Oriental concept of health. Essentially, the body and internal organs are subject to, and generate their own, Yang and Yin energies. Too much of one or the other brings disorder to that part or function of the body. ‘Full’ organs such as the heart, liver, and lungs are Yin. ‘Empty’ ones such as the bladder, bowel, and intestine are Yang. Each organ has two sides: in the heart, for example, the blood and muscle are Yin; the energy driving the muscle is Yang. Symptoms of Yang diseases are fever, thirst, hot extremities, a rapid pulse, a yellow tongue, or constipation. Cold (and fear of it), shivering, diarrhea, swelling, and a weak pulse are indications of Yin disease. Traditional Eastern medicine works on treating the imbalance of energies using infusions from various natural ingredients. | |
| Traditional medicines, always
popular in the countryside, are now experiencing a revival in urban areas. I am certain
that this is due to the quality of care offered rather than lower prices. Traditional
doctors are closer to their patients, more open and approachable, and have more time to
give to their patients than their modern counterparts. In a typical consultation, the doctor spends a great deal of time with patients to determine if they are suffering from a Yin Yang imbalance. Because traditional medicine doctors believe that mental and physical health are interconnected, doctors will usually conduct a very comprehensive medical examination. While the examination might begin with typical clinical examination techniques, like checking the pulse and blood pressure, the examination will also include examining the color of the skin and tongue, and feeling the temperature and humidity of skin. The doctor will also have a long conversation with the client to determine the client’s mental status, family situation, attitudes, and habits. The goal of this examination is to not only find out the client’s primary symptoms, but also to understand the client as a person. This personal relationship and very detailed examination results in a more accurate and complete diagnosis. Usually the client is advised on what medicines to take and is also counseled on difficult life situations and attitudes that are thought to contribute to a patient’s poor health. |
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