Faith healing not recognized in medical profession - Cabral

MANILA, Philippines - Even as the Department of Tourism (DOT) continues to promote faith or spiritual healing as part of its medical tourism program, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said yesterday that these forms of healing are not recognized in the professional medical community.

“I’ve read about that (in the newspapers) so yesterday I wrote Secretary Durano to clarify what he was saying,” said Cabral, referring to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Earlier, Durano had announced that the DOT and the newly formed Health and Wellness Alliance of the Philippines Inc. are coming out with a new tourism package that will include faith healing services.

Absence of standards

Durano claimed that there are tour operators that specialize in faith healing but the DOH has not given them accreditation due to the absence of standards.

Faith healing and other forms of traditional medicine are gaining popularity, especially among those in developed countries.

Not recognized

But according to Cabral, faith healing “is not recognized (as a) means of treating anything as far as the medical profession is concerned.”

“Psychic surgery, for instance, wherein tumor is being removed (by bare hands), is not allowed. That has been - in the words of the US Food and Drugs Administration and the Federal Trade Commission – an unmitigated hoax,” Cabral added.