DOH warns public vs iridology clinics

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health has cautioned the public against iridology centers, saying there is no scientific evidence that its services are effective against the treatment of diseases. In a news conference in observance of the Sight Saving Monday, Health Undersecretary Jade Del Mundo said the agency is not endorsing iridology as part of alternative medicines or treatment. “There is no scientific validation for the use of iridology and it does not have a strong evidence of having value either for diagnosis or treatment of disease,” he said. The Health official said they have been disputing iridology in the market since the 1980s and are reiterating their stand now after an accumulation of reports to various health organizations. Del Mundo, however, said they are powerless to call for the closure of iridology clinics. “There is a thin gray line that is in between the medical practice and iridology. We are already thinking of ways of giving sanctions to these iridologists but these are also licensed doctors so our hands are somewhat tied,” he said. Del Mundo said they cannot sanction an iridologist unless he or she has committed malpractice. To build a case, Del Mundo urged previous iridology patients to file their complaints before the DOH so that they can gather enough evidence against possible malpractice. At the same time, he advised iridologists to present before the government scientific proofs that will show the value of their practice. Iridology is an alternative medicine technique whose proponents believe that patterns, colors, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a patient's systemic health. According to Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology President Dr Reynaldo Santos, extensive researches by medical practitioners indicated that there is no correlation between the iris and other body parts. “There are harmful effects that can be brought by iridology and based on evidence from literary reviews, it is actually no better (findings) than chance,” Santos said. Besides proving its ineffectiveness, Santos said the use of iridology may also lead patients to having false complacency that their disease is already cured. - GMANews.TV