Rwamagana- Doctors in Rwamagana have warned local residents against seeking treatment from traditional healers.

The caution follows reports that a child died after receiving treatment from traditional healers and another is in critical condition in Rwamagana hospital.

Speaking to The New Times, yesterday, Dr. Avit Mutaganzwa said that rural residents prefer traditional healers to modern health facilities owing to ignorance.

Mutaganzwa, who chairs the Eastern provincial medical association, pointed out that a serious campaign is needed to halt the traditional healers’ activities.

"We can’t continue losing people just because of unawareness. The child that died reached our hospital in critical condition after spending weeks with traditional doctors. There is another with great bacterial infection,” he observed.

Mutaganzwa noted traditional healers in rural communities are influential and attract the local population.

"Traditional healers have control over people...they capitalise on people’s traditional attachment. They have got to be restrained. How do you treat pneumonia by cutting a child’s abdomen?” he wondered.

Gorethe Mukamusoni, a resident of Rutoma in Musha sector, however, differed saying that traditional healers were doing a commendable job. She pointed out that most diseases were successfully treated using local herbs.

"It is rare that people die while on traditional herbs...there are cases where people die or fail to respond to medicine just like it would be in any hospital,” she said.

The District Mayor, Neheme Uwimana stated that traditional healers have been instructed to limit their activities.

Ends