The Bali Provincial Health Office (Dinkes) plans to introduce traditional medicine through routine outreach at the Niti Mandala Renon Field, Denpasar City, throughout 2023. In addition, the Bali Provincial Government is also intensifying traditional services to bring in tourism quality, namely introducing wellness tourism where tourists who come to the “Island of the Gods” –the designation for Bali– not only enjoy the scenery but also feel the traditional medicine.
To support this, in every hospital and puskesmas (public health center) with different traditional services, 1-2 doctors have been prepared as the person in charge of treatment, supported by trained physiotherapists and nurses.
“In 2023 we will continue to socialize traditional medicine. So the Balinese people at least have no disease get well, try traditional medicine, later we will have a routine socialization movement in Renon,” said the Head of the Health Office Bali Province I Nyoman Gede Anom in Denpasar.
The socialization will later be filled with an introduction to the community about traditional healing services, such as acupuncture, acupressure, and prana, which have been implemented in all government hospitals in Bali and 120 health centers.
“This socialization is still being discussed with Gotra Pangusada, the plan is to do it every Saturday-Sunday during busy times. There will be as well as personal service so that members of the pangusada (traditional healer) take turns as well as promotions including herbal medicines,” he said.
Traditional healing services have been started by the Provincial Government of Bali since 2021, but he admits that this service is not yet available to become the main choice for people who go to the hospital.
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To support this service, the Provincial Government of Bali has also made herbal products through the UPTD Laboratory Testing of Traditional Medicines in Bangli, Karangasem, and Tabanan Regencies.
A total of seven herbal products, including hypertension, diabetes, and kidney failure have been prepared to meet the needs of traditional medicine. “So the pharmacy already has it (herbal medicine), now it’s still free for medicine if you enter BPJS. As for the service not yet, our hope is that hopefully it can be borne, so people are more comfortable,” he said.
Going forward, his party will continue to encourage the inclusion of traditional medical services in BPJS Health, so when another 64 hospitals in Bali open this service will be the main choice for the community.
An Application Regarding The Practice of Balian
Head of the Bali Province Health Service (Dinkes) I Nyoman Gede Anom said that the government of The local province Bali (Pemprov) has made an official application containing information about the practice of Balian or Bali traditional medicine in Indonesia that has special abilities.
“That (application) has been made, the name is Site Bali (Situs Bali), but the Ministry of Communication and Informatics has not yet been released. It contains information about hospitals in Bali that serve legal traditional medicine and herbal medicine. Then the names of Balian, we call them pangusada in Bali,” said Anom, in Denpasar.
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In this application, he said, the public can see data and locations for Balian practices according to their individual needs, so they are guaranteed legality because they are registered and have a Pangusada certificate to be issued by Gotra Pangusada.
“Until the world community can go to Bali, they can see the names in the application. In Pangusada, everyone has his own specialist, just like a doctor,” he said.
The Head of the Bali Health Office said that up to now in Gotra Pangusada there have been recorded around 6,000 Balian or pangusada, with his expertise can be obtained from taksu or supernatural powers or heredity.
“So now Gotra Pangusada members feel that they have been recognized, can open official practices, can serve the community. In fact, later, if there is data that doesn’t heal, you can complain to them,” he said again.
Anom said that the Ministry of Health had given permission to issue licenses to practice, “We hope that this application belonging to the Provincial Government of Bali can be completed containing data in it in 2023”
In traditional medicine through the practice of Balian or pangusada, Anom said, it would give rise to usada lontar or ancient medicinal records from ancestors in Bali to be used as medicine.
“We want the public to know that we have Pangusada who perform traditional medicine. Most of us do believe it. So far, it’s been quiet, we make it official so that their work can be accounted for and other people don’t get harmed. The pay sometimes is more expensive than medical, so now it is standardized,” said An official from the Bali Provincial Government.
