Interest rises in alternative medical treatments - Dr Aisha Abdullah, Senior Vice-President, DHCC

Dubai: There is huge interest for alternative medical services but in a regulated environment, a senior doctor said on Tuesday at the opening of the first homeopathic clinic at the Dubai Health Care City (DHCC).

Dr. Aisha Abdullah, senior vice-president, DHCC, said a survey showed that 54 per cent of the people interviewed were interested in some form of alternative medicine and wanted a choice in treatment which has less side effects.

The doctor said it has pioneered a regulatory structure for alternative medicine and that it has formulated stringent rules for licensing of such clinics. She was speaking at the opening of Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic, also the first Indian corporate at the DHCC.

She said DHCC will be talking with insurers to get reimbursement for patients undergoing alternative medicine treatment. "But it will take time", she said.

Dr. Mukesh Batra, director of the clinic, said not only Indians but Arab women are seeking homeopathic treatment. He said 300 people die every day worldwide due to drug-induced disorders. "That's the equivalent of a plane crash every day, but it does not make news as it is not dramatic."

Asked whether this is a good time to open a clinic, the doctor said "medical services are recession-proof... More people are suffering from depression and psychosomatic disorders", he said.