Exclusive, Chairman Of Expert Panel PABOI, Ferdiansyah: After Scientification, Alternative Medicine Can Become An Asset For Our Medical Field

Alternative medicine is actually not a new thing in the world of health. Recently, Ida Dayak's alternative medicine has gone viral and made people excited. According to Prof. Dr. dr. Ferdiansyah, SpOT(K) as Chairman of the Expert Panel of the Indonesian Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (PABOI) if this treatment can be scientifically proven it can be an asset to our medical field.

***

The amount of public interest in receiving treatment from Ida Dayak meant that the treatment initiated by Kostrad at GOR Divit 1 Kostrad Cilodong, Depok on April 3 and 4 2023 had to be canceled in order to prevent unwanted things. The woman, whose real name is Ida Andriani, had to be evacuated by officers from the mob. Even though she was ready with her oversized clothes – typical Dayak clothes in black and yellow – to provide alternative medicine to the community.

Prior to this, the public was also hypnotized by alternative medicine that was carried out by a little shaman, Ponari, in Jombang, East Java. Then there is also an alternative medicine practitioner named Ningsih Tinampi from Pasuruan, East Java who claims to be able to cure COVID-19. And also Umi Zubaidah, an alternative practitioner who treated the late Olga Syahputra. "At first it was trending, after a while, it disappeared on its own," said the doctor who practices at RSUD Dr. Sutomo.

He continued, actually, alternative medicine has been around for a long time. However, there are those that develop well and become branches of medical disciplines such as acupuncture. Likewise, Indonesian herbs and herbal medicines have also developed and become standardized herbal medicines after passing preclinical and clinical trials. However, there are also many that walk in places, or in other words, do not develop.

“Now there is an acupuncture specialist. So previously acupuncture treatment was included in the alternative category, then it was carried out by the scientific or scientific process. After research, it turns out to be useful. Then it is used like any other branch of medicine,” he said.

In the context of Ida Dayak, if she or there are parties who can carry out the scientification of treatment methods and how much efficacy the treatment is carried out according to Ferdiansyah it could become a treasure of medical treatment in Indonesia. But if you don't have one, you have to be careful. "So alternative medicine is not wrong. But there must be proof. If it can be proven its medicinal properties, it will become the treasure of medicine for our nation. And if it can be scientifically developed like acupuncture it will be useful for many people," he told Edy Suherli from VOI who recently conducted an online interview. Here is the full excerpt.

Recently Ida Dayak's alternative medicine has gone viral, it is said that she can heal various diseases including broken bones, how do you see this phenomenon?

Talking about medication that is currently viral in the media, this is related to alternative medicine or complementary medicine. Alternative therapy has been around for a long time and has become a tradition. We used to think that alternative therapy only existed in the eastern world, but in fact, it exists in the western world as well. In this phenomenon, there are several things that are interrelated. First, even though technological advances in the field of medicine are so advanced, there are still many diseases that cannot be treated. The second is from the side of tradition, various countries do have healing traditions. And the third is from patients, namely vulnerable people. People who feel that they are very down with their disease, such as kidney failure patients who are constantly undergoing hemodialysis (dialysis). Or patients with advanced cancer, stroke, and also people with spinal fractures and permanent paralysis as a result. They are still looking for healing even though they have undergone medical treatment.

Do you have more energy to seek treatment even though you have already taken medical treatment?

In the third context, the patients will try their best to get the best treatment so they can recover. This vulnerable person is easily influenced to find any alternative that can make him recover. If you need to recover as soon as possible, because you are tired of treatment.  

Mrs. Ida Dayak does not charge fees for her treatment. Her patients are only advised to buy liniment for IDR 50,000. What's your opinion?

When it comes to costs after BPJS or other insurance is handled a little. But it could be the attraction. I don't want to respond to individuals. The problem is that what was done (alternative medicine) cannot be said to be wrong and cannot be said to be right either. Depends on which angle you see it. Every normal person when sick wants to seek treatment and recover. The problem with alternative medicine, first is that the method is not clear, we don't know the mechanism by which it works. Second, there is nothing clear about the effectiveness of the treatment she is doing. If out of a thousand people who recovered, only 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 five people, that means it's just a coincidence.

Next, what is the side effect of the treatment of the patient? Is there any or not? That's why when finding a new treatment that becomes a consideration is patient safety or do no harm. Whether the medicine will be effective or not is another matter. So don't add to the patient's suffering. Then we talk about the efficacy of the drug being studied.

So there is no rush to judge alternative medicine?

Some were previously categorized as alternative medicine and then developed into good ones, for example, acupuncture. Now there is an acupuncture specialist. So previously acupuncture treatment was included in the alternative category, then it was carried out by the scientific or scientific process. After research, it turns out to be useful. Then it is used like any other branch of medicine.

For the Indonesian context, is there any scientifically proven traditional medicine?

That happened to herbs and herbal medicines. Because there are benefits, they were finally given support by the Ministry of Health and BPOM. Its status has increased from herb to standardized herbal medicine and then to phytopharmaca. So there are standards that have passed preclinical trials and clinical trials.

And what is important to note for all people there is no one medicine that can cure all kinds of diseases. There is a specific drug that can cure a particular disease or group of diseases. If someone claims that a medicine can cure all diseases, we have to ask whether this is true or not? Usually, a lot is not true.

So what did Ida Dayak do should be examined and further investigated?

Yes, the facts must be sought from the treatment she did. If she is willing, the prospective patient will first be examined by neutral medical personnel. Then after she was treated, an evaluation was carried out. So the information is open. A phenomenon like Ida Dayak did not just happen this time, it has happened before. It always starts booming and then goes away on its own.

What about the practice of broken bones shamans?

The shaman for fractures accepts patients with fractures or pain in the limbs. Pain can have various causes. The bone is a special organ. She could just crack or break until it shifts. Conditions can be shortened or bent. There is also an open fracture (piercing through the flesh), this is dangerous. And there are also closed fractures, without wounds.

Why is the bone special, if it is broken it can heal in a normal and crooked condition. So broken bones can heal but in a crooked state. What most often occurs in the thigh, is an overlapping fracture, resulting in shortening. If it just cracks without a shift, you don't need to take it anywhere, it will heal on its own. The one who healed is the Almighty, Allah SWT. The doctor only facilitates it. Our body with the existing system will normalize fractured bones. Like healing that occurs in wounds. So that's the phenomenon when a bone is broken.

If we see in many circulating videos about the practice of straightening crooked bones by Ida Dayak, how do you observe it?

For alternative medicine, the most important thing is the evidence. What we see is that there is a straightening of the upper arm which usually occurs as a result of treatment by a shaman for fractures that do not heal. If it doesn't heal it will form a pseudo-arthrosis or a false joint, so bending it doesn't hurt. Because the broken bones are not connected, they become like joints. I also see that there is a straightening action, it is straight, but when released it will bend again. It needs to be refuted with tools. The solution is surgery with bone grafting.

What is your suggestion for the community to face the phenomenon of alternative medicine like Ida Dayak?

We have to read a lot and read, research before coming to that place. Don't just rely on information from social media. Now is the era of social media, its distribution is extraordinarily massive. We must be careful and select the incoming information. Don't just go along with seeing information that treatment can overcome or cure this disease and that while we don't have complete information. So literacy is very important so you won't be disappointed later.

And don't accept or do anything harmful. The rule in the world of medicine if there is something new is safety factor number one, aka do no harm. So once again, to all people, be careful, first look at the information you receive. Don't just join in. Wanting to recover is natural, but you have to take the right, structured, and standardized method.

As long as alternative medicine has a prove, is it okay?

I also guide doctoral student research on herbal therapy. He did research and there is proof. There is also health research on dhikr therapy, that also has evidence. But again it's not for all kinds of diseases. There is no divine medicine that can cure all kinds of diseases. If anyone dares to make such a claim, be careful it's not true.

So alternative medicine is not wrong. But there must be proof. If it can be proven its medicinal properties, it will become the treasure of medicine for our nation. And if scientific knowledge like acupuncture can be useful for many people.

What is your advice to the government when facing a phenomenon like Ida Dayak, is it not impossible that it will reappear in the future?

There must be education for the public about how to live a healthy and correct life, and how to get the right treatment. And preventive action, namely preventing the arrival of the disease, is better than cure. The problem is that curative is usually much more expensive than preventive. Regulations regarding permits must also be enforced for alternative medicine, which are permitted and which are not. And I think the government also needs support for the scientific process of potential traditional medicines. Such as research for herbal medicine and herbs. Professional organizations like us can also educate the public. For those who have been educated to remain literate, read and research before taking action. For ordinary people, it is safer to ask medical personnel at government or private health facilities.

Moving Is the Key to Fitness for Professor Ferdiansyah

As a professional Prof. Dr. dr. Ferdiansyah, SpOT(K) must always have an excellent physique. So that when performing actions on patients can be accurate. Because of that he, who is also the Chairman of the Expert Council Chair of the Expert Council of the Indonesian Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (PABOI), requires his guidance students to carry out sports activities to support fitness.

“Any sport, the important thing is to move. I used to actively play badminton, but now as I get older I switch to table tennis," he said.

As well as being a doctor at the Hospital. Dr. Soetomo Surabaya, Ferdiansyah also teaches at the Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral levels at the Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University – RSUD. Dr. Sutomo Surabaya. "I have the task of education, research, and community service," he said.

For research, he tries to produce medical devices (alkes). The problem is currently, he said, 95 percent of medical equipment in Indonesia is imported. This is what makes him more enthusiastic about producing something in his research. "We are trying to contribute to producing original domestic medical equipment. In accordance with my scientific field, I developed a network bank," said the man who was born on February 12, 1964.

The Tissue Bank is a place to accommodate organs (bones, placenta, tendons) from donations to organ donors. When someone needs certain organs can be donated again.

Ferdiansyah assesses that the Indonesian people are still low in awareness about donating their organs. “Because it is difficult to obtain human organs, we take bones for grafts from cows. The demand for bone for these grafts is enormous. That's what I do outside as a doctor and lecturer," said the Chairman of the Indonesian Network Bank Association.

Moving

In the past, when he was still young, Ferdiansyah actively played badminton, now he has switched to table tennis. “Once upon a time there was a problem in my Achilles tendon, it was always painful. Sport is important, that's why I switched to a lighter sport, namely table tennis," he said.

Because of the heavy-duty of a doctor, especially during surgery, he requires his students to pursue a sport. "If it's an operation, it can take hours. If you don't have a strong physique, it can be troublesome. That's why I require my students to pursue sports, anything is fine," explained Ferdiaysah who completed her Bachelor of Medicine at March 11 State University, then continued her Master in Orthopedics & Traumatology Specialist Airlangga University and Doctoral Degree also at Airlangga University.

In the world of Orthopedics, he continued, the motto is "life is movement, movement is life". So you really have to move or exercise. “Any sport, just adjust it to your physical condition and age. The key is to move," he said.

For food, he has reduced his intake of rice and sugar. “Our lifestyle as doctors are not ideal, the operation lasts until night or even early in the morning. Therefore exercise and food intake must be maintained. Now I have reduced rice and sugar, added vegetables and protein," continued Ferdiansyah, who can now taste original coffee without sugar.

Success Tips

There is no choice to achieve goals must focus on goals. “It is necessary to set high goals. For example, the target test score should be 10, if you miss a little, it's not bad at 9 or 8," said the Professor and Head of the Orthopedics & Traumatology Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University.

You have to have a dream, and if you really mean it, said Ferdiansyah, the dream will be achieved, although not 100 percent. "You have to have big dreams. With that we have the spirit to make it happen," he said.

>

Science continues to develop, and the deeper they learn, the more they don't know. “So you shouldn't be arrogant when you have reached a certain level of education. The phenomenon in the world of medicine is endless. For example, during the past COVID-19 pandemic, research was continuously being carried out to find drugs and vaccines to fight the virus," said Ferdiansyah.

"There is no divine medicine that can cure all kinds of diseases. If anyone dares to make such a claim, be careful it's not true"