Sundaymail EditorTHE Chinese provide a perfect example for Zimbabwe in standardising traditional medicine if the health sector is to realise its potential and solve health challenges its local people are facing.
China, just like India, has become a country of choice for locals seeking treatment mainly for chronic illnesses like cancer with conventional medical methods falling short or becoming too exhorbitant for many.
Further, traditional medicine has not been standardised leaving locals opting for the Asian countries.
Traditional Medical Practitioners’ Council registrar Ms Joyce Guhwa, who was in China to familiarise herself with the models used to standardise traditional medicine, highlighted that research was one key component to realising an effective health sector.
“The Chinese have standardised traditional medicine to the extent of putting together common herbs that one can buy over the counter in a traditional medicine pharmacy.
“They operate state-of-the-art traditional medicine hospitals and clinics with professional personnel handling that field. In addition, they have managed to separate medicine and magic while their traditional practitioners now have the knowledge for instance to read an X-ray report when diagnosing a patient.
“This is because they invested a lot in research and they tapped as much traditional medicine knowledge from individuals which is contrary to what prevails in Zimbabwe,” she said.
While reports have pegged people who consult traditional practitioners, faith healers and prophets at 85 percent of the local population, traditional medicine practice remains unstandardised with knowledge remaining at individual level.
Ms Guhwa said there was need for well-coordinated research on common techniques used by traditional practitioners and plant needs to ensure Zimbabwe has data of such techniques as well as that of indigenous medicine.
“In Zimbabwe, all the knowledge and techniques of traditional medicine lie in the hands of individuals who know how to administer patients upon consultation. With Government prioritising such interventions, local production of traditional medicine is an immediate measure which will ensure Zimbabwe’s own growth of the practice.
“Insufficient evidence on efficacy of traditional medicine is a key component that needs to be addressed to ensure that traditional medicine becomes beneficial to health for everyone. Resources should be mobilised to support participatory research particularly to gather knowledge, attitudes, techniques and behaviours to enhance the role of traditional medicine in health systems. This should also be fostered at country, regional and international level,” she added.
She highlighted that using the local language to protect the knowledge within the practice was key to developing traditional medicine.
Highlighting the lessons she acquired from Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital (TCMH), Guhwa said the medical institution, which was established in 1956, has three institutes and centres. These are Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhao Bingnan’s Medical Centre of Dermatosis and the Beijing International Training Centre for Acupuncture.
In addition, there are Departments of Dermatology, Digestion, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Oncology among others which make part of the available 26 clinical departments.
She said the traditional hospital had the capacity to treat diseases which include hepatitis, rheumatism, ulcers, nephrosis, cerebrovascular disease, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, eczema, pyocutaneous diseases and peripheral angiopathy.
“The hospital was established as a result of the government’s strategy to promote the integration into health care systems of Chinese traditional medicine practice and medicines for which evidence on safety, efficacy and quality is available.
“They realised that where such evidence is not available measures have been put in place for its generation to ensure indigenous knowledge is preserved.
“Chinese traditional medicine which emphasises efficacy has been developed over time as a result of research done on both techniques and medicines used to treat various ailments.
“The movement from a generalised approach to administering traditional medicine to disease-specific treatments has played a pivotal role in ushering coordinated use of traditional medicine as a whole,” she added.
Online Reporter