COVID-19: Traditional Doctors Demand Action on Local Herbal Remedy

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

Traditional doctors have stormed Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory demanding the fastracking of clinical studies on the herbal medicine specimen submitted to the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.

Operating under the auspices of the Association of Traditional Medicine Practioners of Nigeria, the group met in Abuja recently to try to profer suggestions on how to find local solutions for COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to journalists on their mission in Abuja, the National Secretary, Mr. Bamidele Fatoki

said members of the group have done tremendous work individually and collectively to promote traditional medicine recipe, especially to develop local cure for COVID-19.

He said: We have been doing tremendous work with the Federal Ministry Health and Science and Technology aimed at bringing lasting solution to the issue of COVID-19.

“We have developed and submitted over 160 various types of herbal medicine specimen to the ministries for research and clinical studies. We are hopeful that the results will soon be out”.

On his part, the National President of the association, Alhaji Ibrahim Dada said the body is urging the federal government to allow effective use of herbal drug produced locally for treatment of COVID-19 cases rather than rely on foreign vaccines that will gulp a lot of resources from the national income.

Dada said some COVID-19 patients have been patronising local herbs for the treatment of the aliment, adding that most of them have gained full recovery.

The Deputy President of the association and Chairman of the Inspectorate Division of the Anambra Traditional Medicine Board, Chief Eugene Osita Nwachukwu said the findings of the traditional doctors showed that COVID-19 is not a new disease.

According to Nwachukwu, COVID-19 virus has been in existence and was being effectively treated with local herbal drugs until recently when scientists christened it with a new name.

“All we ask is to be given a chance to prove the efficacy of traditional herbal remedy. We also want the federal government to provide financial support to enable local research effort to establish the potency of traditional medicine in the cure of not only COVID-19 but other diseases afflicting our people,” he said.