Denpasar, In the City

Traditional Healing in Denpasar Municipality

In the midst of modern medical technology, the city dwellers of Denpasar in fact still depend on traditional healing system. Traditional healing in Bali can be said unique. Without making use of any tools, the healer can detect types of illness suffered by patient. Even without a single touch. He just employs the concentration of ‘spiritual power’ so he can ‘normalize’ the disorder of the bodily organ.

This fact is different from modern medical science. Varied tools are required like X-rays, ultraviolet rays and so forth to diagnose the internal condition of the patient. Not exceptionally, the patient should be operated on to take out ‘unfamiliar materials’ that considered the resource of illness. Favoured by Denpasar Dwellers
Alternative healing is now becoming an option of most people. Apart from being cheaper, it does not apply chemical matters that can result in side effect and is believed to reduce bodily immune.
Patient who comes to traditional healing is not only of the indigent, but also the rich, physician or family physician that take advantage this healing. This matter definitely caused by the fact that they have been tired of going to hospital again and again but their illness never relieves. “We come here as we have fed up consulting the physician,” said a patient who was being encountered to queue at the clinic of Ida Bagus Martinaya to Bali Travel News.
His clinic is one of the places offering traditional healing that draws many patients of Denpasar dweller. Its owner is Ida Bagus Martinaya and located at Jalan Pulau Moyo Gang Horti No.5 or some 10 meters south of Jalan Teuku Umar (Simpang Enam), Denpasar.
Gus Martin—so this healer is commonly greeted. In healing, he just relies on the taksu (divine inspiration) of Bali’s pure energy, namely a sort of elixir for disorder on bodily organ. “In principle, the illness is not killed or eliminated, but neutralized into its normal condition,” said Gus Martin who is also a journalist and cartoonist.
It is said that this ‘taksu’ is a smart energy. Simply by processing or inserting it into the body, it can detect disorder and then improve it. Method of inserting the energy is carried out without a single touch. “Just by directing the palm on the distance of 2- 10 cm the organ that goes wrong can be known. It marked with warm or cool temperature by the patient,” he uttered.
After that, patient is given plain water that means to add energy. This water has been implored to Lord Shiva, the Supreme Being in order that any kinds of illness suffered from can be relieved. Types of illness can be detected medically or non-medically (illness generated by evil power). Should there be a patient of non-medical illness, the patient itself will tell the kind of its illness, who the doer is and where he does it. By nature, anything will happen instinctively.
Per day, there are some 10-15 patients who request his treatment. “This taksu was obtained from a divine inspiration when he meditated in Bali. Mastresna, my teacher, received it. Other than such inspiration, the method of opening the energy is through holy water of 32 great and small temples throughout Bali. This holy water then duplicated and delivered to patients,” explained Gus Martin who opens his practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 17:00 Local Time.
Mrs. Yuli Susianti performs different method. Her clinic that is nestled at Jalan Pulau Kawe No.24, close to Jalan Teuku Umar (Simpang Enam), Denpasar utilizes acupressure method, namely healing by the capacity of massaging sole of foot. Through this sole of foot all kinds of illness can be cured. “Especially for cancer and tumour will be easier to cure when no operation or endoscopies has been performed previously,” he said to Bali Travel News.
Having entered the clinic of Mrs. Suli Susianti, patient will be laid down on a folding bed. Few patients will express their pain or scream to endure it. Clinic that is open daily, from 07:00 to 19:00 all the time receives many patients. There are some hundreds of patient everyday that’s why she employs 10 assistants to help her.
There is another illness that she cannot cure namely bone fracture or illness that has once undergone operation at hospital. Healing carried out is only to make the organ function normally as a testimony of an insomniac patient who in fact can sleep soundly at her clinic.
Watch out
In Denpasar, many clinics of alternative healing can be found. Based on the data of Denpasar Division of Health Services, there are 28 clinics, with details as follows: at West Denpasar (13 clinics), South Denpasar (4) and East Denpasar (11). This traditional healing is categorized into four, namely based on skill, herbal ingredients, and paranormal and religious belief.
According to Dr. Dewa Alit Parwita, Sub Division Head of Health Research at Denpasar Division of Health Services, categories that widely develop in Denpasar are of skill and herbal ingredients. The healer is obliged to have a license issued by Denpasar Division of Health Services. Registration fee for this is IDR 100,000 and valid for five years. “Watch out! These days, many people admit to be an alternative healer. However, they are categorized into the illegal ones and sometimes are not responsible. Their modus operandi is by nomadic office practice,” recalled Dr. Dewa Alit Parwita. (BTN/015)