Perceptions and attitudes of bhutanese people on Sowa Rigpa, traditional bhutanese medicine: a preliminary study from Thimphu

This study was conducted from May to September 2009. In total, 155 people coming from diverse social backgrounds were randomly selected for the study. The study made use of qualitative as well as quantitative approaches, involving the administration of questionnaires and conducting in-depth interviews.From the 155 respondents 99% have heard about sowa rigpa, mainly from their friends or relatives. The study showed that sowa rigpa is popular among the respondents since more than half (51%) have said that they have been treated by sowa rigpa doctors. The data revealed that the majority (83%) of the respondents are satisfied with the treatment received.The Bhutanese healthcare system that integrates sowa rigpa and modern medicine offers an opportunity for active healthcare decision-making by the patients. The improved understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and treatment seeking practices of the participants in the study provides useful information for health practitioners and policy makers to plan health activities. The present preliminary study represents only people living in the capital city of Bhutan. Therefore, a further nationwide study is planned to better understand the role sowa rigpa plays also in rural Bhutan.Despite the advances in modern medicine, many people around the world seek traditional medicine to cure various health problems. Because of its recent upsurge in popularity in the West, traditional medicine looks set to become "a permanent feature of the cultural landscape" (p.49) [1]. Much social science research has focused on the growing demand and use of traditional medicine [1-4]. These studies have variously attributed this upsurge to the dissatisfaction among patients with modern medicine, a desire for holistic treatment that value patient experience, or the emergence of the "smart consumers" seeking empowerment through active healthcare decision-making. There have been many claims that the use of traditional medicine is a substantial and grow