By: Luis Alfonso Albarracin Palomino
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The presentation of the Health Reform Bill by the national government to the Congress of the Republic has generated great controversies among some sectors of national opinion, where it is planned to totally modify the national health system. The overflowing reformist desire to modify the entire structure of the Colombian State has caused this initiative of the executive to begin to have setbacks for its approval. The radicalization of the members of the political movements: Liberal, Conservative and U Party, in order not to approve the content presented, has shaken its approval and puts in check the other reforms that are presented and that are bogged down in the various committees of the Corporation.
But my column does not pretend to analyze this political problem. I want to refer to the article where it is intended to integrate into the national health system, some ancestral practices that have been developed since ancient times by our ancestors. Even today they are used to alleviate and counteract some diseases. Inclusive and excuse my readers, that I refer to my personal life. I was born 68 years ago, thanks to the care of a midwife. I never suffered aftermath. My mother in life used some medicinal plants to counteract my fever and to deworm me, among other pathologies that I suffered during my childhood and adolescence. When they were more specialized diseases, they took me to the doctor to be treated. This same scheme was used with my brothers.
In my adulthood, I have had several successful experiences to overcome some ailments, even though I have possibilities to go to doctors and specialists for care. Even during the Covid pandemic, I witnessed the herbs that some sectors of the population used to overcome the effects of this deadly virus. Although I suffered from it with my wife Amparo and my daughters, who fortunately were asymptomatic, I always had available herbs such as moringa, eucalyptus, chamomile and mousetrap leaves, garlic, big-headed onion, ginger, honey, which some herbalists had recommended to me. and that I witnessed how thousands of people overcame this deadly virus. I was even suffering from a persistent cough and a professor at the University recommended a home remedy: A glass of orange with honey and put it in a water bath and take it lukewarm before going to bed. Surprise that, the next day, this discomfort had happened to me. We can continue listing countless experiences of friends who have been using these ancient medicines. And they have been cured.
Even when I have dislocated my ankle and a hand, I have gone to the best bandero that I know in this city of Neiva: Abel Gualy. I have overcome these ailments. Of course I don’t want to undermine modern medicine. In any moment. For this reason, when looking for some ancestral practices to the General Health System, and that have become talk, on social networks, I respectfully consider that it should be analyzed in detail, the way to be able to give them legal life, especially in rural sectors where there is no possibility of having health centers or hospital institutions, to provide priority services by the State. This is a question that we must process and not reject it outright.
In the cities, these ancestral medicinal practices will continue to be developed, even if they are not included in the Health Reform. We cannot hide this reality. So be laughable. But I will continue to use some home practices. Whenever I can, I will use my orange juice with honey and take it warm before going to bed, when I cough again and try to congest my chest. Currently, all over the world you can find spaces that offer alternative medicine services, among which are acupuncture, chiropractic and the use of medicinal plants. It should be noted that each alternative therapy has an energetic component and that the people who generally go to these services do so because they are part of a community that has traditionally implemented this type of medicine or because after many years of conventional treatments they have not seen results. .