EDITORIAL: Shun traditional healers in 2015

Many people suffer from chronic illnesses, but instead of seeking medical care, they run to traditional healers sometimes with the belief that the ailment is as a result of witchcraft. Such people end up being fleeced of their meager resources and yet at the end of the day, they never get healed, simply because traditional healers have no capacity to diagnose illnesses and prescribe the right medication. But, unfortunately, this is the challenge many people, especially the illiterate go through when confronted with illnesses whose symptoms they can’t comprehend. They move from one traditional healer to another, yet a visit to a hospital would save them time and money wasted on endless visits and concoctions prescribed by traditional healers. Visiting the hospital could also save their lives before it’s too late to cure the illness, especially in case of diseases like cancer, epilepsy, heart diseases or schizophrenia. Shunning medical care in preference to traditional healers is a serious issue that leaders in communities should take up and sensitise the people on the importance of visiting medical facilities in case of any illness. Not even known traditional herbs should blind anyone from seeking medical care when they fall sick, even for not life threatening illnesses like a cold. With the current advances in medicine, people should not leave their lives at the mercy of superstition. People need to be sensitised not to fall for such kinds of superstitions. As we usher in the New Year, one of your resolutions should be to live healthy. Shunning traditional healers and undertaking routine medical checkup should be part of your resolutions for the year 2015.

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EDITORIAL: Shun traditional healers in 2015