‘80 % of traditional healers‘ patients are HIV+’

News
AT least 80 % of patients who consult traditional healers are HIV positive, Midlands provincial medical director Dr Milton Chemhuru has said.

AT least 80 % of patients who consult traditional healers are HIV positive, the Midlands provincial medical director Dr Milton Chemhuru has said.

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Chemhuru said traditional healers capable of treating HIV opportunistic infections should prove to relevant authorities before the Health ministry could refer patients on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) to them. He said on the other hand, there was need for traditional healers to be cautious when handling patients.

“They should not use dangerous methods in the conduct of their business as this often results in unnecessary loss of life and damage to property,” Chemhuru said.

“We are willing to work with and even refer patients on ART to them, but that can only be possible if they prove to us that they can cure HIV.”

He called for medical practitioners to join hands with traditional healers and other informal medical practitioners to fight against various killer diseases.

Chemhuru said the government recognised traditional healers as integral units of the country’s health delivery system, hence formal medical practitioners should desist from despising them.

He said patients had a right to seek medical treatment from any kind of doctor.

“We want to improve our health delivery system in all aspects; nurses and doctors in government and non-governmental institutions must desist from despising patients who consult traditional healers.

Everyone actually has a right to consult a medical practitioner of choice; they should rather join hands with the traditional healers in the worldwide fight against HIV and Aids and other killer diseases,” Chemhuru said.

“District education officers and nurses should engage with the traditional healers on a regular basis sharing knowledge, skills and even materials if our health delivery system is to improve.”

He urged the traditional healers to be proactive in the fight against HIV and Aids, but was quick to warn them to be careful when dealing with the pandemic.

The call comes at a time when various men of cloth and traditional healers are sprouting in the country making sensational claims of possessing the power to cure killer diseases such as HIV.

Of late a number of traditional healers as well as faith healers have been on the spotlight for claiming to cure HIV, but none of the claims has been scientifically tested or proven.