DENPASAR – The Master’s Program in Health Law at the Graduate School of Udayana University (Unud) scheduled a guest lecture entitled "Traditional Medicine Policies in Bali" for Thursday, August 6, 2026, starting at 10:00 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA), at the Graduate School Auditorium on PB Sudirman Street, Denpasar. The academic event focused on how regional policies and hospital practices can support safe and accountable traditional health services.

The event featured two scheduled speakers: Dr. dr. I Nyoman Gede Anom, M.Kes., Head of the Bali Provincial Health Office, and dr. I Putu Oka Dharmawan, IBCLC., MARS., of the Bali Branch of ARSSI. Dr. I Nyoman Gede Anom was scheduled to discuss provincial government policies on traditional medicine, while dr. I Putu Oka Dharmawan was to present practical experiences in delivering traditional health services in hospitals.

Regional Policies and the Development of Traditional Healthcare

The policy materials distinguished three approaches to traditional healthcare: empirical, complementary, and integrated services. These approaches were discussed in relation to regulations, including Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health, Bali Provincial Regulation No. 6 of 2020 on Health Administration, and Bali Governor Regulation No. 55 of 2019 on Balinese Traditional Health Services.

The development of traditional healthcare was also presented through three main areas: products, service practices, and healthcare personnel. These cover product quality, service standards, and professional competencies. Safety, demonstrable benefits, and regulatory supervision were emphasized as important considerations in developing services rooted in local knowledge.

According to the Bali Provincial Health Office presentation, 120 community health centers had provided integrated traditional health services. The activities described included counseling on family medicinal plants (TOGA) and acupressure, community empowerment through self-care groups, registration of traditional healers, and guidance and supervision of service providers.

The materials also introduced medicinal plant post-harvest processing centers (P4TO) in Baturiti, Tabanan; Rendang, Karangasem; and Pengotan, Bangli. These centers were discussed in relation to medicinal plant processing, herbal medicine development, and support for research and the utilization of medicinal plants.

Integrating Traditional Healthcare into Hospital Services

From the hospital perspective, dr. I Putu Oka Dharmawan prepared a presentation entitled "Balinese Integrative Health Science," drawing on experiences with traditional healthcare in hospital settings. The material examined Balinese health knowledge, including the usada manuscripts, and efforts to explore its relationship with modern healthcare through research and scientific development.

The experience of developing services at the Traditional Clinic of Ari Canti Hospital was among the examples presented. Topics included hospital management support, collaboration with physicians, practitioner competencies, patient responses, and the importance of evidence-based assessment of the benefits and safety of traditional interventions.

Under the service pathway described in the materials, patients first undergo examination and diagnosis by their attending physician. After receiving information about complementary traditional healthcare options, patients may consent to or decline the proposed services. This approach places professional coordination and informed patient choice at the center of integrated care.

The presentation also discussed Tri Sarira, Tri Hita Karana, and traditional Balinese knowledge sources as subjects for further study. Local knowledge was framed as an area requiring critical scientific examination, rather than an automatic substitute for established medical examination, diagnosis, or treatment.