I first met Dr Hafeel and his beautiful wife, Dr Saya, when we worked at the same clinic over a decade ago. I have since followed their journey to fulfil their dream of starting their own holistic, integrated clinic in Dubai. Centrally located on the Al Wasl Road just opposite the Box Park, the clinic offers a very peaceful and calming welcome, more like a Spa than a clinic in its appearance. Their handpicked, highly professional team of nurses and therapists all serve you with a genuine, caring smile making you feel more like a family member than a patient.
Holistic and integrated medicine look at the whole body, mind and soul connection and combine western science with eastern wisdom and alternative medicine to provide the best possible tailor-made health care solutions for patients. It also offers a whole different focus on preventative medicine and maintenance of health rather than simply curing illness once it occurs and also aims to find the root cause of disease rather than suppressing symptoms. Without exaggerating, I have seen miracles happening in the hands of the Healers and there is no wonder that people from all over the world visit their clinic to seek health and longevity.
Dr Hafeel, you have an impressive 5 generations of Ayurvedic practitioners behind you in your family. Tell me how important Ayurveda has been for you growing up and how your ancestors influenced you to start on your medical path.
Dr Hafeel: The 5 generations of Ayurvedic practice backing me forms my foundation and I consider myself truly fortunate to have inherited this wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Ayurvedic learnings were a part of growing up. It was a ritual daily experience and the knowledge gained, was abundant. Choosing to take the same medical path as my predecessors was only natural.
Above: Dr. Hafeel and Dr. Saya
Your wife Saya is also an integral part of the clinic and works as a Homeopathic physician. Can you tell us a bit more about her background, experience and expertise?
Dr Hafeel: Dr Saya is a physician in holistic medicine and the Medical Director of The Healers’ Clinic. Her extensive research in, and practice of, non-linear diagnostics is her foundation to accurately assessing various disorders. Saya believes that Healing is an art that evolves from within - it cannot be assessed by a set of standards nor can it be standardized to fit into the realm of modern science. She combines her ability to heal, with the principles and practice of Homeopathy which enables her to go beyond symptoms and get to the root causes of ailments.
Above: Dr. Saya
What is it, in your opinion, that is so unique about the way you view health and wellness and how you approach a health issue?
Dr Hafeel: While we base our practises on the ancient philosophies of preventive health care systems, and believe in traditional but holistic healing practices, we adapt and implement them through modern and scientific platforms. Incorporating approaches from across the world, we choose a course of treatment best suited to individual needs and tailored to individual lifestyles.
In India, as well as Sri Lanka and other eastern countries, it seems to me that so called alternative medicine is a huge part of life and a highly respected in society. You can decide to become a conventional medical doctor yet specialize in alternative therapies. It appears to me that you have a tradition of having a more holistic view on health whereas in the west we mainly rely on allopathic and conventional medicine? What do you think we can we learn from your culture?
Dr Hafeel: India has a rich diversity of cultures, traditions and even languages. More than 4000 ethnic groups in the country make it an ocean of un-codified, oral traditions which have been, and still are, being passed over from generation to generation. Some are influenced by experiential learnings too and all of them are being passed on through traditional behavioral patterns, word of mouth, verbal or written stories, folklore, folksongs etc. At the same time, the oldest codified traditions like Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, plant science, animal husbandry and many more schools of thought or philosophies like Sankhya and Nyasya have been passed on through generations. With the European influence in India, a new language and new, modern science was imported. It was accepted generously and amalgamated with traditional codified and un-codified laws. However traditional believes still holds firm ground because it is time-tested, is ecosystem specific and culture-specific too. It has found its own way to deal with ecosystem-specific or a geography-specific diseases and disorders. Health traditions are traditions too – they become a way of life and later, go on to be supported by policies. Parallel systems bring in and formalize traditional healthcare through government channels. India promotes various studies for advancement of traditional medicine which, incidentally, I happen to be a part of.
Above: Dr Hafeel
When a patient comes to see you at the Healers you always offer quite unique an in-depth evaluation of a patient’s overall health situation. Can you tell us a bit more about the way you diagnose patients?
Dr Hafeel: Integrative healthcare is our forte wherein each person who needs assistance, is regarded as a combination of multiple dimensions which include the body, the mind, beliefs as well as context (society, relationships, environment). We start with a Non-linear Health Screening, which is a non-invasive, and harmless procedure where electromagnetic signals help determine the health status of various organs of the body. It helps identify predispositions for various illnesses, weak functioning organs, and homeostasis of various organs of the body. Post this screening, a treatment plan is custom-made to address each unique constitution and its needs.
After a proper evaluation of patients you offer various highly unique and personalized programs that include food and nutritional advise, meal schedules, lifestyle changes and various therapies. Can you describe what therapies you have at the clinic?
Dr Hafeel: The services and treatments we offer range from traditional ones like Ayurveda and Homeopathy to modern Physiotherapy, Colon-hydrotherapy and General Medicine. In fact, non-linear diagnostics, which we start off with, is a very sophisticated and scientific procedure. Homeopathy is probably the safest form of medicine ever known to man. It addresses the root cause of an ailment rather than addressing the symptoms. Ayurveda has a huge number of therapies. Abhyanga, Kizhi therapy, Shirodhara, Vasthi, Nasyam are a few of them - each being specific to a malady.
What are your plans and ambitions for the Healers in the future?
Dr Hafeel: I would like to see The Healers’ Clinic as a Center of Excellence in the region. I want it to serve the community and hold its position as an Integrative Healthcare Facility for families. I want to build an awareness in the society on preventive care, rejuvenation, and maintenance of good health. My dream is to have an in-house retreat facility with Dubai as its hub - it would be based upon our unique standards. We are exploring this opportunity.
You can find the Healers here :
The Healers Clinic Opposite Box Park, Villa 2, Street 15 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.