The Synthesis of Adaptation and Standpoint of Indigenous Medical Wisdom in Community Health Systems: A Case Study in Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

     This qualitative research aimed to study the adaptation phenomenon of indigenous medical wisdom in Kanchanaburi province that affected socio-cultural change and synthesized the standpoint of indigenous medical wisdom in community health systems. Data collecting involved a quantitative survey for collecting and classifying folk-healers and qualitative techniques consisting of in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, observation, and documentary analysis. The findings revealed 93 folk-healers in Kanchanaburi province with the main categories being herbalists (37.63%) and massagers (32.26%). Only 21.51 percent were registered as Thai traditional medical professionals. From a health care perspective, indigenous medical wisdom was still a part of community’s way of life. When people had an illness, integrated care involving modern, indigenous, and alternative medicine was used in accordance with their beliefs, experiences, and the resources existing in the community. However, because of social factors including laws and policies from government sectors, the community way of life is changing. Thus, indigenous medicine must adjust to correspond to the people’s way of life and the requirements of the community health systems so that indigenous medicine can address the 4 health care areas consisting of: health promotion, disease prevention, curing illness especially diseases for which treatment using modern medicine is limited, and health rehabilitation.