However, BC's Provincial Health Officer (Dr. Bonnie Henry) appears to have little knowledge about homeopathy and because the remedy that Dr. Zimmermann used is derived from rabid dog saliva (Lyssinum), nothing short of a media shit storm of rabid commentary followed. Note that Lyssinum has been used safely in homeopathy for nearly 200 years. Dr. Henry's stated "grave concerns" around the use of the remedy and her call for Health Canada to investigate caused a feeding frenzy in mainstream newswires including the CBC, Global News, the Washington Post, the Seattle Times among many others around the world. As a result of this widely publicized media attack on homeopathy and alternative healing therapies, letters of complaint have been sent to BC's Minister of Health, Adrian Dix. What follows are three such letters. Please feel free to borrow information from these letters and use them as a template if you wish to register your own complaint with the BC Ministry of Health against the actions taken by our Provincial Health Officer that serve to restrict our rights to make our own informed medical decisions. 1) Attached here is a letter from Ted Kuntz registering an Official Complaint with BC Minister of Health, Adrian Dix regarding BC's top doctor, Bonnie Henry.
Mr. Kuntz's letter to Minister Dix exposes areas where the POH is failing to meet mandated responsibilities of the office as set out by the Ministry of Health and by the 2008 WHO Beijing Declaration. He also states that the PHO not only denies the impact of vaccinations, environmental factors and diet on health, but shows a failure to recommend actions to improve health and wellness in BC. 2) Attached here is a letter from Dr. Anke Zimmermann registering an Official Complaint with BC Minister of Health, Adrian Dix regarding BC's top doctor, Bonnie Henry. Anke Zimmermann is a naturopathic doctor and classical homeopath with a special interest in childhood developmental and behavioural conditions. She has been in clinical practice for 27 years. Anke is in the process of creating a therapeutic, integrated child care centre for children on the autism spectrum on a small hobby farm with goats, chickens and more. You can learn more about her at www.drzimmermann.org. Dr. Zimmermann's letter contains a plethora of historical and scientifically referenced facts that show that homeopathy is a cost-effective, proven, potent and efficacious healing modality -- one which is safely used in many countries around the world. She brilliantly offers vital information around how homeopathy can be used for acute and chronic infectious diseases, serious pain syndromes, diverse emotional and mental illnesses, pain relief, MRSA, BC's opioid crisis and much more.
July 11, 2018 The Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health Government of British Columbia Room 337 Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 Re: Formal complaint –Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Dear Health Minister Dix: I am writing today to add my support of the recent letter from Ted Kuntz (attached) that was sent to your office registering a formal complaint against Dr. Bonnie Henry, PHO. At this time of unprecedented epidemics of chronic illness in BC, especially in children, I am asking that you, as Health Minister, take very seriously the issues and suggestions for solutions that are raised here and in Mr. Kuntz’s letter. Prior to 1980 the rate of autism was less than 1 in 10,000. Today, autism affects more than 1 in 68 children (age 5 – 17) in BC, and at the current rate of growth autism is projected to affect 1 in 2 children by 2030 (80% of boys). The impact of autism on BC will be catastrophic. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorderchildren-youth-canada-2018.html. Thirty years ago autism, asthma, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, life threatening allergies and juvenile diabetes were virtually non-existent. According to a 2010 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, chronic illnesses in children doubled from 1994 to 2006 and now affects more than 1 out of 4 children in the United States. Canadian numbers are likely similar and may be even higher today. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/185391. I believe that the office of the PHO has failed to sound the alarm to legislators, public health ministers and the public that we are in the midst of a major health crisis. At this time when it is obvious that our current system is broken, would it not be advisable for the PHO to become familiar with and offer recommendations for successful and safe alternative options? Note that in France, a country The World Health Organization (WHO) has deemed to have the best healthcare in the world, 95% of French pediatricians, dermatologists and GPs prescribe homeopathic medicines. A marriage between alternative health care and conventional medicine is obviously contributing to a healthy population in France - why isn't this happening here? (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25921648) (http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/) Dr. Henry’s widely publicized media attacks on the validity and safety of alternative health therapies, including homeopathy and chiropractic, are completely unacceptable. Minister Dix, you have stated in the media that regulation of homeopathic treatments is not within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health. This surely underscores that Ms. Henry was speaking to the media inappropriately and well outside of her mandated role under the Ministry of Health. It is hard to fathom why a key focus of the PHO seems to be to malign therapies that are not within the confines of the allopathic realm and instead undertake aggressive promotion of vaccination compliance. Where is the much needed exploration of what could be the causes of the exploding crisis levels in chronic disease we see? Added to this misplaced focus, the reality of vaccine injury is blatantly ignored and never reported to the press. The public is denied their right of truly informed consent, and is unduly influenced through unreliable media reports that often misrepresent the fact that vaccination is voluntary and not mandatory for school attendance. The promotion of untested vaccines as being safe and effective against overwhelming evidence of harm, is dishonest and dangerous to public health. What possible justification is there for censoring discussion around very real and documented evidence that challenges the mantra that vaccines are ‘safe and effective’? In November 2008, the WHO adopted The Beijing Declaration to promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicine (i.e. natural medicine and therapies). This includes taking key steps to integrate natural medicines and therapies into healthcare systems. For member states to follow the declaration, they must:
It is my humble opinion that what’s behind our current health crisis is actually pretty simple. It has occurred because public health policies have for decades been based upon over zealous food and health industry influence, rather than upon independent studies that stand up to scientific rigour and evidence base as they should. The world of Big Pharma and Big Food/Big Agriculture dominate with cruel results – this is unsustainable and any government that just goes along with this, or worse – promotes their corporate agenda, is failing us all terribly and is frankly complicit in the tragedy of rampant chronic illness that is upon the citizens of BC. Minister Dix, I have read that the “core fundamentals” that you embrace include “an excellent health care system that operates efficiently.” I trust and believe that is what you want and are working hard to make reality. Unfortunately, the writing is on the wall – it won’t happen under our current massively failing system. I imagine Tommy Douglas would roll over in his grave to see the reality of corporate medicine’s take over of our universal access to health care with results that are devastating more families each and every day. Please stand up for the principles that are the basis of the NDP party and be open to making desperately needed changes to BC’s health care system for the benefit of all. I hope that you will acknowledge that the Beijing Declaration supports the use of traditional therapies in health care and see to it that the Ministry of Health follows those recommendations. Traditional foodways have been used as medicine forever. This brings me to a point I would like to make about the traditional use of raw milk as healing food. In the early 1900’s the Milk Cure was successfully used in curing many diseases, and raw milk is used as medicine to this day in hospitals in Europe. I believe that the BC Minister of Health and the PHO are not being faithful to the Beijing Declaration by continuing to outlaw a traditional healing food like raw milk in BC. Raw milk is NOT a "health hazard" - there is no evidence that properly produced raw milk is any more hazardous than any other common food. The need for traditional, nutrient-dense, health-giving foods is great. Canada has the highest rate of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in the world – a condition that is often associated with autism. “You speak to some of the older doctors who have been practicing for 20 or 30 years, they almost never saw children under five (diagnosed),” says Dr. Eric Benchimol, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in Ottawa. “Now it’s almost a regular occurrence.” Pivotal to restoring gut health are nutrient-dense traditional clean foods including highly probiotic foods such as raw milk, and most especially, raw milk kefir. Raw milk kefir is a traditional alternative healing modality. It is one of the most potent probiotic foods available. This excellent referenced article goes through the reasons why raw milk kefir can be uniquely helpful in improving gut health: https://chriskresser.com/kefir-the-not-quite-paleo-superfood/. I was surprised to note that BC’s Guiding Framework for Public Health has, as its only reference to diet, the goal of seeing an increase in the percentage of British Columbians (age 12+) who consume fruit and vegetables at least 5 times per day. http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2017/BC-guiding-framework-for-public-health-at-a-glance-2017.pdf Are you kidding me – that’s it? Fruits and vegetables? There is a critical need for reliable holistic nutrition education around of the importance of nutrient-dense, traditional diets that contain clean whole foods, rich in healthy fats, key vitamins and which recommend the avoidance of processed foods. A plethora of reliable, science-backed information on the wisdom of eating such a diet is provided by the not-for-profit Weston A. Price Foundation: https://www.westonaprice.org/. The PHO and the Ministry of Health should support the work of thousands of Canadian physicians and allied health professionals who are petitioning Health Canada to correct our decades-wrong official dietary guidelines. I highly recommend reading the evidence base which is attached to their petition. These physicians and allied health professionals find success in reversing diseases like diabetes and obesity with the use of nutrient-dense, lower carb diets – contrary to Health Canada dietary recommendations. Here is the link to their petition: https://www.changethefoodguide.ca/. Please see their associated website, Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition (CCTN) here: https://ccfortn.ca “Childhood diseases are either mild or non-existent when parents practice the kind of good nutrition that we advocate. Diets rich in vitamins A and C can protect children against disease much better than vaccinations, and with side effects that are good, never harmful. Public health policy should be aimed at accurate information about nutrition, not the promotion of vaccinations that actually suppress the immune system and often have tragic side effects.” ~ Sally Fallon Morell, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation Minister Dix, I implore you to be part of solution for the sake of the children and all of us who rely upon your ministry’s policies to protect our health. It is unconscionable that so many children would continue to be injured by vaccines, harmful dietary and medical advice/interventions, environmental poisons, and our broken, nutrient-deficient, poisoned food system when solutions are staring us in the face. The BC Ministry of Health must show direction that will lead to the prevention and recovery of chronic illness, rather than the existing emphasis on pharmaceutical and conventional approaches only – to not do so will be to our peril, and doom future generations to severely compromised health. The almost 200 new vaccines coming to market and a new ramped-up schedule for adult vaccination should be a big warning flag for anyone who has looked into vaccine safety. I understand that some health care recommendations and policies come to the province under the umbrella of Health Canada. I do, however, request that you exercise your authority where ever you can to make healthy changes in BC, and use your position to advocate for healthy changes on a national level. The answers to many health problems are already there waiting for us to employ them – our bodies are astounding at healing themselves if we only give them a chance with clean nutrient-dense foods and nurturing therapies that are never toxic. I am aware of remarkable recoveries from autism, mental illness, and debilitating chronic disease, and none of that was achieved by exclusively using pharmaceuticals, allopathic medicine, and the Canada Food Guide. In order to improve the Ministry of Health’s impact on the well-being of the citizens of BC and to rectify the failures and indiscretions of the PHO, please consider the following suggestions: That a commitment be made by the Ministry of Health and the PHO to take positive steps to honour the Beijing Declaration to promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicine (i.e. natural medicine and therapies). This includes taking key steps to integrate natural medicines and therapies into healthcare systems – including food such as raw milk as a natural and traditional therapy. That the PHO make a public retraction and apology for her uninformed media assault on homeopathy which was publicized the world over, and that she publicly apologize to Dr. Anke Zimmermann. That the Ministry of Health and the PHO develop a policy of openness and truth regarding the safety of vaccinations, and ensures that the public is informed through honest media reporting that vaccination is voluntary in BC, and that the inherent risks vs benefits of vaccinating are openly publicized so that informed choices can be made. That a moratorium be considered on vaccinations (and especially on the nearly 200 new vaccines coming to market) until the BC government has conducted a study (independent of pharmaceutical influence) comparing the health of vaccinated vs unvaccinated children in BC and until vaccines are independently tested and proven to be safe. That the Ministry of Health and the PHO call for an immediate ban on GMO’s and chronic antibiotic chemicals like glyphosate and encourage the Ministry of Agriculture to offer government incentives/subsidies to regenerative organic farmers. The Minister of Health strike an independent advisory committee to work with the PHO to address the epidemic of autism and other neurological and immunological disorders. The committee ought to include allied health professionals including Naturopathic Doctors, Homeopaths, Chiropractic Doctors and Registered Holistic Nutritionists (RHN). Thank you sincerely for your attention to this, Minister Dix. Here is a link on topic for your perusal. https://www.alternativeboomerlegacy.com/blog/the-eleventh-hour Kind regards, Linda Morken cc: Premier John Horgan – [email protected] Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture – [email protected] Dr. Bonnie Henry, PHO – [email protected] Members of the Legislative Assembly of BC College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC – [email protected] BC Naturopathic Association – [email protected] College of Chiropractors of BC – [email protected] Health Action Network Society – [email protected] Vaccine Choice Canada – [email protected] Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition (CCTN) – Barbra Allen Bradshaw, Co-founder – [email protected] Ted Kuntz Dr. Anke Zimmermann Weston A. Price Foundation – [email protected] Blog Title Credit: "If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." ~ Irwin Corey
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5 Comments
8/25/2018 11:03:12 pm
I would really appreciate to hear more about this matter. It is such a privilege to be on your blog. This is not only to give us some advices but also to educate us on what is better for our family members. I do hope that you will continue to share your insights in here. The good thing is that we have the chance to be able to know more about health education. Many people will take this opportunity to enhance the wellness of their family.
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Linda Morken
8/27/2018 06:59:26 am
Thanks so much for your kind words! Your comment is deeply appreciated.
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Linda Morken
10/27/2018 12:36:51 pm
You're welcome! I appreciate your comment.
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AuthorLinda Morken, WAPFTM Volunteer Chapter Leader in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada Check out our FACEBOOK page!
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Let's Change Canada's Food Guide (originally published in May 2017 Rural Observer)
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