Institute for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine / ITCIM

A conference titled "It's time to start cooperate" was held in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic on 20 June 2024 under the auspices of the Minister of Health, Prof. Vlastimil Válek CSc. The conference was opened by the Member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Mgr. Margita Balaštíková together with the Senator Mgr. Herbert Pavera.

Prof. MUDr. Ing. Petr Fiala Ph.D., the chair of the Working Group for TCIM (Traditional Integrative and Complementary Medicine), which has been working for more than a year within the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education at the Ministry of Health, introduced the Working Group and welcomed all in attendance. The results of the work of the successful fields of traditional, complementary, integrative medicine (TCIM) - acupuncture, homeopathy and biotronics - were presented.

Guests from the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy were invited. They presented the participants with the scope and implementation of TCIM methods in their countries. Relevant evidence-based information was presented that can help develop a modern concept of healthcare, to which, among others, TCIM/CAM methods undoubtedly belong.

The event took place at the invitation of the Czech MP Bc. Margit Balaštíková and Senator Mgr. Herbert Pavera, in cooperation with the Working Group for Alternative and Complementary Medicine led by prof. MUDr. Ing. Petr Fiala Ph.D. and the Institute for TCIM /CAM, whose director is Tomáš Pfeiffer.

Current problems in health care include, for example, the growing resistance to antibiotics, the chronicity of certain diseases, the overuse of medicines with their side effects, the rising cost of medicines, the expensive operation of hospitals, and, above all, the ever-increasing cost of the treatments themselves. Nevertheless, TCIM/CAM disciplines can have the merit of improving health and quality of life, at the same time with significant financial savings. Functional healthcare systems exist in Europe and around the world where interdisciplinary collaboration is fulfilled to the greatest benefit of the patient. The parameters of TCIM include safety, efficiency and effectiveness (reducing public healthcare costs). TCIM disciplines are used by the majority of the world's population. They are validated by thousands of years of experience or confirmed repeatedly by positive outcomes in practice – improving health to saving lives.

MUDr Hana Váňová, the former chair of the Homeopathic Medical Association, introduced homeopathy to the conference participants. As a doctor, she initially rejected this field, but the change came when conventional medicine could not help and homeopathy cured her six-year-old son. In the EU, 100 million people use homeopathic methods and 45,000 doctors practice them. According to MUDr. Váňová, homeopathy is a timeless healing method that has already been presented in many clinical studies.

Prof. Mgr. Radko Tichavský Ph.D. demonstrated the results of so-called holo-homeopathy, i.e. homeopathy used in agriculture. Everything has been empirically verified in many projects for 25 years. Complex soil gives complex plant and complex plant gives complex health to human. Professor Tichavský adds: "Plants don't know the placebo effect, they either grow or they don't grow."

Prof. MUDr. Ing. Petr Fiala Ph.D., Head of the Department of Acupuncture at the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education in Prague, explained the principles of acupuncture and its effectiveness verified by randomized clinical trials. He has been cooperating with international experts for many years. Among the interesting facts was the scientifically based finding that acupuncture has its original roots in Europe five and a half thousand years ago.

MUDr. Peter Olšák, author of an innovative method using electroacupuncture, spoke as the second representative of this field. This progressive rehabilitation method is effective for all ages and allows people with damaged muscles, after paralysis, sometimes with no chance of movement, to start walking again, move and integrate back into active life. His presentation included video footages of individual case studies.

Tomáš Pfeiffer, a disciple of Josef Zezulka, introduced the Czech method of health promotion Biotronics. This non-invasive energy therapy, repeatedly benefits even patient’s incurable by conventional methods. From the mouths of the doctors came case reports of successful health interventions in the field of oncology– a malignant tumor on the nose, a malignant melanoma of the lower limb with metastases in the pelvic area (is fine for 22 years after the diagnosis), a 15-year-old girl whose kidneys failed as an infant, a case of a woman dying of a stomach tumor (the patient lived for another 23 years). Long-term survival of cancer patients after failure of conventional treatment in the terminal stage of the disease is extremely rare.

The Institute for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM/CAM), led by Director Tomáš Pfeiffer, arranged the participation of international guests:

Dr. John Hughes PhD, BSc (Hons), Lic. Ac, Head of Research at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, the largest provider of traditional and complementary therapies in the UK. He is an associate of the WHO. Dr. Hughes briefed attendees on the current state of TCIM research and practice in the UK. He urged the Czech health sector to pay attention to the WHO document Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 for possible integration of these practices into public health services provision.

Nora Laubstein – President of ANME (Association for Natural Medicine in Europe) presented the experience of TCIM in Germany. She outlined the terminology used, an overview of the TCIM structure, education, particular professions involved in traditional medicine and their inclusion in society, mentioned the legal regulations and other data relevant to the TCIM practice.

Amarjeet S Bhamra – Lead Secretariat at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Indian Traditional Sciences in the UK. He has initiated a Europe-wide campaign for freedom of choice to enable access to traditional therapies for all citizens of the European Union. He also appealed to Czech politicians and their support for TCIM methods. In the Czech Parliament, he stressed the need to specify requirements, raise awareness among MPs, and strengthen mutual cooperation.

Federico Palla – SALUS European Network Coordinator from Italy pointed out the need to bridge mutual mistrust. People working in the field of health care should come together, use a holistic approach to the person, focus on full health, not on disease. To promote a healthy and longevity society, a paradigm shift is needed. He has organized, among other things, three conferences in the European Parliament.

Conference conclusion – participants expressed the need to continue creating the platform for serious communication of all disciplines. To look for effective methods across all medical and non-medical disciplines and incorporate them into healthcare, including continuing education.