KOCHI: Its a usual day at the St Joseph’s hospital Manjummel where Sister Philomena is seeing her patients.
What is different about her patients is that most of them have been through the usual course of allopathic treatment for diseases like arthritis, disc failure, obesity etc and are hoping for some relief through her treatment.
Sr Philomena is a specialist in the electro-vita system of treatment, a combination of acupuncture and electro-homeopathy.
Electro-homeopathy is an Italian system of medicine which is like homeopathy, except that the medication is herbal, not involving chemicals. “I learnt about this system when I was in Lucknow.
There was an Italian doctor who used to practise this system. He taught us the basics which interested some of us,’’ says Sr Philomena.
Later she did a course in Alternative Medicine at New Delhi to qualify for practice.
``Acupuncture has identified 700 acu points in 14 channels. The needling of these acupoints is applied to rejuvenate the imbalance caused due to diseases whereas electropathy is an independent medical system which is made from the essence of medicinal plants. It is non-toxic, non-alchoholic and harmless with no side effects,’’ she says.
Sr Philomena who has been practising for the last few years says that she never takes allopathic medicines. “Since I practise this, I always use acupuncture or electro-medicines to cure any discomfort that I have.’’ At St Joseph’s hospital, Sr Philomena administers electro-vita treatment for various ailments like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, psoriasis, Down’s syndrome, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatism, varicose vein, diabetic ulcers, headache, joint pains and even drug addiction.
``Unfortunately I get patients who are in the acute stage making it difficult to completely cure them, because the disease would have done severe damage by then,’’ she says. The treatment course is for 12 days followed by an interval of fifteen days. It means that there can be only one course in a month.
To remove the blocks in the system, fine acuneedles are pricked into the body which feels like antbites, she explains.
Together with it, electro-vita is administered orally. These drops are collected from 114 varieties of flowers.
``We have treated about 2000 patients in three years in the age group 1 to 80,’’ she says. ``Of course, I treat with my faith in God who is there with me to help these people,’’ says this nun who has dedicated her life to help others, spiritually and medically.
sudha@epmltd.com