'Jamu', An Approved Prescription In 14 Indonesian Hospitals

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Indonesia's traditional herbal medicine, jamu, is now an approved prescription in 14 hospitals and 30 community health centres in Central Java, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said. Speaking at a regional seminar on traditional medicine in Solo, Central Java, Monday, she said the move would be expanded to other hospitals in stages. Studies have shown that 49.53 per cent of Indonesians aged 15 and above take jamu routinely and that of the figure, 4.36 per cent take the herb on a daily basis, she was quoted as saying by the detik.com news portal. In Africa, she said, 80 per cent of the people relied on traditional medicine. She called on producers of traditional medicine to take on the challenge to produce quality jamu following its widespread use among the people. There are about 280,000 traditional medical practitioners in Indonesia. The ministry is now carrying out research in Tawangmangu to find the traditional cure for diabetes, lipid, hypertension and gout. -- BERNAMA