Traditional President Compliments Government
President of the Sierra Leone Indigenous Traditional Healers Union (SLITHU), Dr. Sulaiman Kabba has showered praises to the government of Sierra Leone, President Ernest Bai Koroma and International, local and religious partners for observing 7th of November as a memorial day of reflection for those who lost their lives through Ebola and the role played by the government of Sierra Leone in particular to end the epidemic in the country.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday at his Traditional Union secretariat on Poyo Bar in the east of Freetown, Dr. Kabba said though the disease was new in the country and the Ministry of Health was unprepared for such a devastating epidemic but the disease was put at bay with the support of our International and local partners.
He recalled that, the role played by our International partners has shown Sierra Leoneans that even in times of strife they would come to our heed citing the huge amount of drugs and medical equipment donated to the government of Sierra Leone only to ensure that the disease is contained.
Dr. Kabba applauds President Koroma for recognizing traditional healers as partners in nation building expressed special thanks and appreciation to Focus 1000 for encouraging traditional healers to participate in the fight against the scourge.
The traditional President went on ‘‘we have been recognized by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation as partners in health and we want to assure them of our support at all times in saving life.’’
He emphasized the challenges faced by traditional healers during the outbreak noting that traditional healers were prone to contract the disease due to their mode of practice dismissed the perception held by some quarters during the outbreak stressing that his men were conscious about the brunt of the Ebola for which they abide by the medical precautions.
Dr. Kabba frowned at healers who practice without registering to the Union and condemned those healers who advertised on radio for curing multiple sicknesses when in reality they are telling lies guarantying that the SLITHU owe commitment to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other health partners to practice herbal medicine as mandated by law.
He also acknowledged the support rendered by medical doctors in the country which support prompted the Union to participate actively in the fight without any fear.
‘‘We want government to construct a traditional University College for our members to capacitate them in herbal medicine so that when they would have completed they will diagnose, manufactured and prescribe traditional drugs’’ Dr. Kabba asserted.
The Union, Dr. Kabba continued has transformed the former animation center at Hastings village to a tech-voc where over 500 of their members are pursuing income generation skills and adult education.
He also recalled that the Union’s Allopathic hospital in Calaba Town is growing rapidly citing the ongoing training of over 20 twenty nurses in the center adding that the hospital has been upgraded to a modern hospital to meet the requirement of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation rules and regulations.
The traditional President also reminded that, the Ebola virus has taught traditional healers a lesson that they should not heal communicable diseases that have the tendency to devastate a whole nation.
He called on their members to respect the laws of the state and register to the Union that only has the power to protect them when in conflict with the law, frowns at the establishment of similar traditional institutions across the country that do not recognized the Union as the umbrella body of traditional healers in the country.
Dr. Alhaji Sulaiman Kabba said, in democracy, every institution has the right to operate without any resentment but that every institution should have a parent body to ensure institutions work in the ambit of the law, citing the drivers union that has its headquarters in Freetown but also have district executives in all the regions.
‘‘We restore health and not contract-killers’’ Dr. Kabba asserted.
By Amadu S Kargbo
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