FAITH HEALING

MODERN HEALTH CARE

Abstract

Objectives: To observe the frequency and various modes of faith / spiritual
healing adopted by patients admitted with surgical diseases and their effects on course of
disease. Study design: Prospective, observational. Setting: Surgical Department Aziz Bhatti
Shaheed (Teaching) Hospital Gujrat, & Surgical department Islam Medical& Dental College
Sialkot. Duration of study: January 2013 to June 2013. Material& Methods: Patients of both sex
and all age groups admitted surgical wards of in both study setting during the study period were
included in the study. Unattended/non cooperative and patients with trauma were excluded.
Their surgical problems were evaluated and recorded. Various techniques of spiritual/ faith
healing being adopted by the patients either as primary or /and an adjuvant modality were noted
and resulted formulated. Results: A total of 953 patients with surgical problems were admitted in
both study settings. 788 patients (82.68%) were found to be using one or another technique of
faith /spiritual healing as a primary or/ and an adjuvant to medical treatment. Out of total 788
patients 414 (52.53%) were female, no much difference of adaptation of various spiritual/faith
healing was found in literate and illiterate population. This practice of adopting spiritual/faith
healing was more common in rural population (n=493 62.56%). Conclusions: Trust on faith/
spiritual healing techniques is a common phenomenon in society, but it is a commonest known
reason of late presentation, diagnosis, treatment of the diseases leading to poor outcome. One
must trust Allah, and it is consistent to apply every remedy that comes with in the range of one’s
knowledge, and then to ask Allah to sanctify that application to the healing of ailment. Religious
scholars, electronic as well as print media can play a vital role in making people aware of this fact
that will eventually lead to early diagnosis, treatment and better outcome of various body
ailments.