Tabasalu general practitioner Piret Rospu claims the exercise of alternative medicine is on the rise and causing more and more problems. It seems like the state is doing nothing to obstruct the situation.
Ropsu states that over the past two decades, the introduction and importing of anti-vaccination and pseudo-medicine theories and clinics into Estonia has rapidly grown.
"It seems to me that the better off people are economically and the less time their work consumes, the more time they have for stupid things. Due to insufficient education or unreasonably high self-esteem, the role of an expert is assumed, incompetent medical information is shared, and health advice is given. This is clearly dangerous and harmful, and these consequences reach medicine, where we as a society must pay for it," says Ropsu.
The GP also finds that the state has supported the false medicine. Only this year, the Job Seekers' Office decided to decline any retraining or additional training in alternative medicine at their expense. The ruling means that one can no longer train as an osteopath, reflexologist, homeopath, practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, etc. Ropsu states that the problem lies in other structures of the state, too, including regional municipalities. Specialists and experts with no competence in the field are often invited to perform speeches providing so-called health care advice. The issue is not only vaccination but also nutrition, medication use, dealing with mental health problems, obstetric care, and administering vitamins to healthy people. "The Board of Health does not regulate it because they are not registered as healthcare workers. The Consumer Protection Board does not regulate it because they apparently lack the competence. The state simply doesn't do anything," adds Rospu.
These dangerous practices result in people turning to real doctors and medical practitioners with liver and kidney function problems caused by over-consumption of vitamins or other substances with no regulated background.
Ropsu is worried that even though the Job Seeker's Office has cut the training of alternative medicine studies, the situation worsens. "Currently, there are more alternative medicine clinics, and they organize themselves more and more professionally, form NGOs and companies, organize conferences and invite international alternative medicine therapists to speak. Many new companies probably aim to apply for state subsidies, among other things."