TINYANGA TO HOSPITALS: REFER SOME PATIENTS TO US

SITEKI – Traditional healers (tinyanga) want hospitals to be empowered to refer some patients to them for treatment in healing huts known as tindumba.

Such referral prescriptions have to be authorised by the Ministry of Health. Yesterday, close to 100 tinyanga from across the country converged at the Siteki Town Council Hall, to commemorate the World Traditional Medicine Celebration Day. Chairman of the Traditional Witchdoctors Association (TWDA), Makhanya Makhanya, thanked the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Health and Georgetown University (GU) for the working partnership with tinyanga.

Makhanya said as traditional healers, they are impressed with the attention and recognition extended by the health organisations. The chairman then requested the ministry to foster a long-term working relationship with them, by ensuring the ministry formulates referral prescriptions to documented tinyanga, so they can be treated at their tindumba. He mentioned that the association will also issue referral prescriptions to health facilities if their patients need the attention of medical practitioners.

The chairman mentioned that there are ailments that needed their attention, hence it is imperative that healthcare workers and tinyanga maintain their working relationship. The chairman made an example of a patient attacked by evil spirits (tilwane), saying such a patient should be referred to them through the issuance of formal prescriptions. “I am so happy that tinyanga are now fully recognised by health professionals, hence my plea is to ask that the ministry formulates referral prescriptions for ailments that are beyond their control, and we will also do the same,” he said.

Shiselweni TWDA Chairperson Sipheshula Mthethwa shared that the herbs and animals used by traditional healers were commonly used by forefathers. Mthethwa thanked the existing partnership between tinyanga and health bodies, mentioning that unity should prevail, as the main purpose of the relationship is to ensure that the nation receives the best treatment.
An inyanga in attendance said government does not recognise them, but prefers to adopt the Western modern medicine. “I believe sicknesses, such as hypertension are also treated by tinyanga using herbs, but health facilities advocate against tinyanga treating patients with such ailment. We hope its another platform will be availed, so that we can resolve our differences and find a common solution,” said the traditional healer.

When responding to the concerns, Ministry of Health National Control TB Programme (NCTP) Officer Manqoba Tsabedze thanked the traditional healers for raising their concerns.
Tsabedze said all the issues raised by the tinyanga will be reported to the ministry superiors, so they can be addressed. He also highlighted that there are ailments, such as cancer, HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), which need a scientific medical solution, hence it is vital that the ministry and tinyanga forge a constant communication model to exchange information.
“We have a five-year strategic plan that incorporates tinyanga as our main stakeholders in health. We have to maintain that working partnership as our main emphasis is to ensure that our clients get the right attention and medication,” he said.

GU’s representative Mpendulo Dlamini, lauded the submissions made by the traditional healers and indicated that they are resourceful in guiding them in the right path in their community outreach programmes. Dlamini thanked the ministry for its role in forging a long-term working partnership with traditional healers in the country. He further urged the traditional healers to allow the distribution of self-test kits for HIV at their tinduma, to enable their clients to conduct their own tests at the comfort of their respective homes.

“We are running community based programmes in communities in health, hence traditional healers are our major stakeholders. We hope to strengthen our working relationship, so that we give the best service to our patients,” he said. The ministry further presented certificates to the traditional healers who participated in a TB training workshop, aimed at equipping them on the disease’s symptoms and how to attend to a patient exhibiting them. The traditional healers were also afforded the opportunity to test for TB, HIV and AIDS and hypertension.

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