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By Bongumusa Simelane | 2024-07-19

In the face of the drug shortage in public health facilities in the country, traditional healers have raised their hands and want to come in and help the nation with natural herbs in a bid to salvage the situation.

This comes after an ongoing public outcry over the country’s worsening health crisis, which has seen many Emaswati having to fork out their hard earned money to purchase different types of medication in private pharmacies due to the lack or non-availability of medication in public hospitals and clinics.

Following that, some traditional healers have come out to claim that they can assist Emaswati by treating some of their illnesses using traditional herbs or medicine.

One of the traditional healers, who has vouched for African medicine, was Dr Malayini Matsebula, who said as traditional healers they have a lot to offer in the face of the drug crisis in the country.

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Matsebula said traditional healers do have medication that can help in the treating of most of the ailments that the public usually suffers from. He stated that some of the medication that is offered in health facilities is derived from plants or herbs that they also use to treat illnesses.

“The problem is that some people lack knowledge on such things and this is attributed to by religious beliefs and other factors. As traditional healers we heal people from a lot of sicknesses which are also treated in hospitals, but people tend to look down upon tradition healers due to lack of knowledge about what they can actually do,” he said.

Matsebula said sometimes some pastors would preach against the use of herbs yet some of them come to them secretly to seek for assistance. He stated that such behaviour should be done away with because it puts the lives of Emaswati at risk. He said Emaswati needed knowledge about the use of traditional medicine and to differentiate between witchcraft and traditional healing.

In addition, he said despite that, some people do come to seek for help from traditional healers and they get treated of their illnesses. He said it was not a good thing that as traditional healers they would be reduced to just being gate keepers when it comes to the use of traditional medicine.

He added that despite that, some people do come to consult with them whenever they are sick and they get treated effectively. He said traditional healing was just a calling just like being a doctor in a hospital. Matsebula stated that as traditional healers they wish to see western doctors cooperating with them in this field of medicine.

He said they would appreciate it if doctors in hospitals can learn to refer patients to traditional healers for some illnesses that need to be approached the traditional way.

He said as traditional healers they also do the same because they know that there are some illnesses such as HIV that only need the attention of hospitals and not traditional healers.
On another note, Matsebula added that government should assist in blending both traditional healing and western medicine and that such would be for the betterment of the country’s health system.

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Meanwhile Makhanya Makhanya, the President of the Traditional Healers Association said if there are no medications in hospitals traditional healers’ help should be sought. He said a lot of people were dying because some of the illnesses were treated the Western way instead of the tried and tested traditional way.

He said referring to traditional medicine or healers as demonic was wrong as it does not help anyone more especially those who are sick and need help. Makhanya, however, decried the fact that sometimes traditional healers were sometimes arrested for being found in possession of certain herbs or animal parts that they intend to use in making medicine.

He said this then makes it hard for healers to perform their duties. Makhanya further decried the fact that government was not sponsoring people who are pursuing traditional healing, but actively sponsors students who pursue studies in medicine.

“We urge government to support traditional healers in the face of the drugs crisis. Government should ensure that drugs are available in hospitals and also support traditional healers in their field. The ministry of finance too should try and pay suppliers on time to avoid the current situation the country is facing now,” he said.

He added that the crisis was letting down the country’s authorities in a very bad way. He said the drugs crisis in the country needs urgent attention before it entirely gets out of hand.

Ministry of Health Communications Officer Nsindiso Tsabedze, on the other hand, said as a ministry they are not responsible for channeling people on where they should get health services.
He said what the ministry does is to educate the public through radio programmes and community outreach programmes on specific illnesses or diseases that need to be attended by hospitals.

Tsabedze added that the ministry of health has a good relationship with traditional healers and that this was even supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He emphasised that the ministry of health does not have a problem with people seeking medical help from traditional healers.

“Everyone has a right seek help for their illness anywhere. Some do go to traditional healers and some prefer prayers,” Tsabedze said

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