Traditional Medicine in Asia

important. A patient is considered to have
recovered if he is able to move the injured
part or walk, even if movement is painful
or unsteady. However, some healers define
recovery as the ability to perform in a
normal way. The extent of recovery may be
assessed by asking the patient to lift
weights; if no pain is experienced, it signifies
recovery.
Traditional Birth Attendants
Many deliveries in Indonesia are still
assisted by traditional birth attendants
(TBAs), who may be either trained or
untrained. TBAs practise under the
supervision of health centre personnel,
namely midwives. A programme to staff
villages all over the country with midwives
was launched with the aim of providing
mothers access to professional help for
deliveries. 12 TBAs are expected to assist
these midwives. Though the Government
is trying to prevent the proliferation of TBAs,
this is not possible as the community still
seems to need them.
Some communities prefer TBAs to
midwives. One reason for this is that the
TBA is one of the local people, and thus
understands the local culture and is already
familiar with members of the community.
TBAs not only assist with deliveries, but
also render certain other services. For
example, they take care of women all
through pregnancy and advise them about
the norms to be followed during this period.
TBAs provide jamu as well as massages to
relieve fatigue. A special massage is done
to fix the foetal presentation, if necessary. (13)
As deliveries are natural events, the
techniques used by most TBAs are similar.
They simply wait through the process of
delivery, until the baby is born naturally.
Some untrained TBAs still use traditional
u Uborampe are offerings.
Traditional system of medicine in Indonesia
tools, like bamboo knives (welat) to cut the
umbilical cord. Crushed pepper leaves or
kunyit together with salt is applied to the
pole of the umbilicus. 13 Some of the more
daring TBAs go a step further to facilitate
problematic deliveries. For instance, they
may push the abdomen downward in
difficult cases, or grope inside the uterus
to disentangle the placenta. TBAs perform
special ceremonies or chant prayers
(mantra) during the process of delivery.
TBAs make daily visits to the mother’s
house to take care of her and the baby, for
35–40 days after delivery. They bathe the
baby, massage both the baby and the
mother, and also help prepare for birth
ceremonies. The placenta is bathed and
several uborampe u are made to it. It is then
buried in front of the house, and the spot
is lit by a lamp at night. A ceremony is
performed when the dried up umbilicus is
severed from the baby’s stomach. Such
ceremonies are performed at every step in
the baby’s growth. Apart from taking care
of the baby and the mother, TBAs also help
in household work, like washing the baby’s
clothes, preparing jamu for the mother, and
so on. 13
Traditional Circumcision (Khitan)
Since most Indonesians are Muslims,
circumcision is obligatory for male children.
Traditional circumcision is practised widely
in Indonesia, the demand for it arising from
the belief that the prayer performed during
the ceremony has a healing power. It is also
believed to have certain other advantages,
e.g., the child is said to experience less pain
and fear, and the healing process is faster.
The skill of performing traditional
circumcision is learnt from parents or
family members who know how to do it. To
be a khitan practitioner, one needs to
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