REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- Some 250 hospitals in Indonesia are preparing to introduce traditional and herbal treatments as an alternative to modern medical therapies, a Health Ministry official said.

"The traditional treatment has been developed in stages. One of the hospitals that have developed it is RSUD Soetomo in Surabaya," the ministry's director of traditional, alternative and complementary medical treatment development, Dedi Kuswenda, said.

Speaking at an international symposium on TradCAM" (traditional complementary and alternative medicine) here on Saturday, he said traditional treatment is taught at institutes of higher learning, including the Surabaya-based Airlangga University (Unair).

"In fact, acupuncture treatment is also being developed there," he said.

Dedi noted that traditional treatment is growing in the country and hoped the public will have access to traditional treatment without the risks of using chemical substances that might be harmful to their bodies.

"Herbal medicines can be used for physical fitness and health," he said.

Traditional treatment is important for the public as an alternative to modern treatments. "It is for the patients to decide themselves. If they feel suited to herbal medicines, that will be no problem," he said.

The Health Ministry continues to develop traditional treatments in hospitals, while at the same time monitoring the circulation of illegal traditional medicines, he said.

"Certification (of medicines) is constantly needed. We are also intensively cracking down on sellers of illegal traditional medicines," he said.

Chief of the symposium's steering committee, Puruhito, said the symposium was attended by experts from Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

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