The psychiatric ward at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital will provide traditional medicine and spiritual health therapeutic services to recovering drug and alcohol dependents from next month. Launched today on a pilot basis for three months, it is the first-ever complementary therapeutic services incorporated into the drug and alcohol detoxification treatment at the psychiatric ward.
The traditional medicine and spiritual health therapeutic services include Sorig Zhiney and Luejong– a mindfulness and yoga session purely based on Sowa Rigpa. It is the ancient science of healing, based on Buddhist philosophy and psychology. Sorig food and diet counselling, acupuncture, massage and cupping therapy are among others.
The Department of Traditional Medicine Services said all these complementary therapeutic services will be administered by registered traditional medicine professionals or dungtshos at the psychiatric ward.
“We will do a feasibility study of this spiritual health services and traditional medicine therapies in integrating into the detox treatment. Another thing is to examine how effective are our therapy and complementary treatment services for people suffering from drug and alcohol detox. The third one is to establish collaboration between traditional medicine and modern medicine,” said Dorji Tshering, the Chief Programme Officer of Sorig Wellness and Spiritual Health Promotion Division with the Department of Traditional Medicine Services.
If this pilot project bears fruit, the department will roll out the services across the country.
The Health Ministry says developed countries like the US have also used complementary therapeutic services to treat drug and alcohol dependents and proved effective.
Today, like many countries around the world, Bhutan is also facing drug and alcohol addiction problems.
Choni Dema
