Medical treatments - drugs, surgery, or whatever - are either evidence-based or not. If they work, they’re not " alternative / complementary " . The only way to prove a treatment works is by a randomised controlled trial - where a group of similar people are randomly assigned to the treatment being tested, or either a placebo or the best current treatment.


Many people - not just in the Philippines - use a selection of non-evidence based treatments - either from choice or because they can’t afford " conventional / orthodox / evidence-based " treatment. Potential problems are that the " alternative " treatment may do harm - either directly, or indirectly ( because they don’t take the treatment known to work, as in the Cobra bite case reported by Steve.r ).


Of course it may be interesting to study local remedies. Over the years some of these may indeed be shown to work.


Some of the " medicinal plants " found in Malaysia and elsewhere in South-East Asia, which are variously claimed to be " anti-inflammatory, treat snake bites, gout, kidney problems, prostate problems, bladder stones, diabetes, worm infections, shingles, cancer, and heart disease " - " Cat’s whiskers " ( 60sen ), Roselle ( hibiscus species ; 70sen ), and Hempedu/Andrographis ( 80sen ) :-






Here, Sabah Snake Grass ( RM3 ) :-






There are in fact over a hundred chemical substances derived from plants, which have been used as drugs ( controlled or otherwise ) and medicines. They include digoxin ( foxglove ; heart conditions ) ; cannabis ; cocaine ( coca plant ) ; codeine and morphine ( pain relief ; poppy ) ; colchicine ( autumn crocus ; gout ); quinine ( " quinine tree " ; antimalarial ), and vinca alkaloids ( periwinkle plant ; cancer treatment ). Observation, chance and good luck has also resulted in effective drugs such as penicillin-derived antibiotics ( from penicillium mould ).


Doctors’ primary function is to make people better. Every patient deserves their treatment to be effective, safe and acceptable, without serious side-effects. No-one in this day and age - wherever they live - should expect a doctor to treat them based on their opinion alone. They’re entitled to expect most - if not all - treatments to be based on good evidence that they actually work.


They may also treat terminally ill patients, in whom " conventional " treatment is no longer working, with " alternative " treatments. Provided such patients give informed consent, nothing is lost, and indeed if the results are carefully recorded, that may help other patients.