For the past two weeks, the Bayanzurkh DHU team had been selecting community health volunteers that we will be training in the upcoming months. In order to pass our selection, the applicants should at least score B's in the interview (with Avarga (Training Manager), Duger ( Public Health Manager) and Sugar ( FGP Manager)), case studies and group activities. But among the three parts in our assessment, I am really amused during the discussion in our case studies because this is when I discover about the traditional treatment of common health problems among Mongolians.
Low Blood Pressure
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| CHV applicants doing our Newspaper Activity on our 2nd Selection Day |
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| Avarga having a headache while interviewing an applicant. |
I come from a country where Traditional Medicine is not totally rejected and knowing that there is some basis on these healing practices makes it harder for the imposition of modern treatment. Every time I get sick when I was younger, my grandmother usually resorted to her plants as initial treatment to my ailments. Also, I experienced being one of the unfortunate followers of penicillin capsule sprinkled over the wounds or those who had not bathed for weeks because of chicken pox or fever. My lola (grandmother) had also used “lana” or coconut oil in small bottle when I had stomach colic or the more modern version of Efficascent oil when I had pain anywhere in my body. For hiccups, we usually put red lipstick or a moist thread in the forehead of the baby which we believe are effective.
“Binat”, “Pasma” and “Hilot” are common medical terminologies in the Philippines and if we add non-medical causes of morbidity in our statistics, I am sure that “Nabati” or “Na-nuno” (a consequence of offending a spiritual entity) is one of the top leading morbidities.
“Binat”, “Pasma” and “Hilot” are common medical terminologies in the Philippines and if we add non-medical causes of morbidity in our statistics, I am sure that “Nabati” or “Na-nuno” (a consequence of offending a spiritual entity) is one of the top leading morbidities.
Most of those that have applied to be community health volunteers in our district are probably like my lola's age and probably smelled like her. Oh Am I missing her too much? They also had the most inquisitive answers to our case studies making me so lenient on handing them As. The case studies are very helpful in determining their knowledge on common health illnesses as well as their level of critical thinking.
Here are some of the traditional Mongolian health practices that I have learned during our discussions:
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| During the case studies discussion with our applicants |
Here are some of the traditional Mongolian health practices that I have learned during our discussions:
First Aid for Burns
As an initial home remedy for burns, Mongolians usually used a solution of water, sugar and soap. There were some applicants who mentioned that they also use beer, oil or liniments, salt or black shoe polish in the burnt area.One volunteer applicant described the treatment when her daughter had accidentally incurred burns from hot coal ashes.Cow's feces and a concotion of penicillin medication and the parent's blood were put in the burnt area (Meanwhile, we Filipinos make use of toothpaste: Colgate and not Close- Up).
Cough and Colds
The mother’s early urine in the day is given to the baby to drink for cough and colds.
Rickets
In order to prevent rickets, the baby is buried in the sand because they believe that the sand is rich in Vitamin D.
Fracture
Eating a special bird's flesh can be very helpful in healing fractured bones.
Fracture
Eating a special bird's flesh can be very helpful in healing fractured bones.
Baby's supplementary food
For breastfeeding babies, drinking boiled sheep fat can be given as a supplementary food.
Diarrhea
Drinking Mongolian yellow rice juice was reported to be effective remedy for diarrhea.
Hypertension
According to our health volunteer applicants, hypertensive events are treated by drinking one bottle of vodka and elevating your arm with the forefinger pointed up.
Low Blood Pressure
For people with low blood pressure, drinking goat’s blood is believed to raise the blood pressure.
I realize that these practices are widely used for decades and have been found to be effective by Mongolians. This blog post does not put criticism on their way of healing diseases but in fact, hoped to provide us with more insight that traditional practices like these do actually exist everywhere in the world, may it be in the Philippines or Mongolia.
