The creators of the myth of Asclepios were far in advance of their time. They had demonstrated an approach to health and well being, which included a means of healthcare delivery that had overcome the human factors concerned with acceptance. Their overall system provided for an holistic view of man in his natural environment and in his socio-cultural world and their philosophy had many similarities with the Christian approach to man’s needs but could not offer the same promise of complete relief from the ‘curse’ of suffering and death. Their organisational and structural systems for healthcare delivery were however remarkable and they can provide today’s world with many lessons as ‘a model’ to follow.
The ancient Asclepieions made use of the entire ‘up-to-date’ medical knowledge and the ‘tried and tested’ healing methods that were available at the time, just as we would. They also combined this ‘science’ with all the elements of an holistic approach and in this way they utilised ‘de-facto’ the elements of ‘trust building’, ‘social interaction’ and ‘outdoor activities’ as well as ‘health maintenance’, ‘education’ and ‘appreciation’ (worship), to achieve their goals.
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