Health Ministry

• Sisters of Charity Health Services
• Complementary Medicine
• Ministry to those dependent on alcohol and drugs
• Ministry to those living with HIV/AIDS

Complementary Medicine

Once if you had a problem, you went to your doctor and followed his or her directions carefully. Diagnosis and treatment were never questioned. These days, however, Australians are also looking to complementary medicine for help. About 2 billion dollars are spent annually in this country on alternative medicine products. There are over 10,000 alternative practitioners in the community waiting to assist the public and these include naturopaths, homeopaths, reflexologists, remedial massage practitioners, aromatherapists and others. One must be careful not to class all complementary practitioners together as inadequately trained and pass over them as of no consequence. Homeopathy, herbal medicine and acupuncture all require up to four years of study and the Australian Traditional medicine Society (ATMS) carefully checks the qualifications of all its intending members before allowing registration.

The Sisters of Charity Outreach introduced a Wellness Program at the Living Skills and Learning Centre in early 1997. It consisted of individual Counselling, Herbal Medicine and Reiki, a hands on and ancient form of healing. In addition it was also able to offer remedial massage, but not on site. Because the practitioners worked together as a team, the clients received appropriate assistance, attending one or more of the practitioners as required. Most of the clients attending these services came from the local area and valued the free service. Many were elderly or came from broken relationships. Most suffered from stress, were anxious about the future of their children and found sleeping difficult. Many received benefit from the wholistic approach of the team.

Because of the proximity of a local safe house to the Living Skills Centre, women visited for assistance. Some, however, felt unable to leave their children under supervision. The Reiki practitioner offered to take the Reiki to the safe house. The manager promptly set up a comfortable room and Reiki sessions were underway. The idea was a very successful one and staff members were encouraged to take up any vacant appointments as they too experienced stress.

Consultations in herbal medicine were available at the Living Skills Centre at Lewisham for local people including those women resident at the safe house. Each month, a herbal study group continues to gather, and herbal preparations are discussed and also prepared. The Herbal Project, supported by the Sisters of Charity, provides herbal medicine to those less able to obtain it. It consists of consultations, visits (particularly to safe houses) and herbal discussions and educational seminars. There is an emphasis on referral to other complementary medicine services. Herbal education sessions continue to be held at the Kilbride Centre in Melbourne, and at Lewisham in NSW. These sessions make herbal medicine available to the local people. Discussions have been held with aboriginal people of the Glen Innes and Deniliquin areas about types of herbs suitable for local planting.