The Edo State Government has assured traditional medicine practitioners in the state of its fruitful collaboration towards providing qualitative healthcare services to the people.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting of the Edo State Traditional Medicine Board (ETB), Dr Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State Commissioner for Health, said that when modern and traditional knowledge are combined, the result will be better healthcare services for the people.
Oshiomhole said that traditional medicine is an important part of Edo’s health system, and the state government is interested in partnering with traditional medicine practitioners. Consequently, it has resolved to train, register, and accredit them.
“In order to work together, we are going to register and accredit Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Edo for easy identification and better working relationships with the state government.
We are going to train you (traditional medicine practitioners) on how to keep delivery safe, handle emergency situations, and when to make a referral to the hospital,” he said.
He revealed that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo recently distributed ultrasound machines to health centres across the 18 local government areas of the state.
“Edo State Government under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo is revamping the healthcare system in Edo through the distribution of ultrasound machines to health centers across the 18 local government areas in the state.
We have commenced free malaria test and treatment in all government-owned hospitals across the state; we have fixed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Edo Specialists Hospital with world-class equipments,” Oshiomhole added.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Edo Traditional Medicine Board, High Chief Abdu Ugbesia Anthony, said that the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to chart the way forward.
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“In revamping Edo State Traditional Medicine Board, stakeholders’ meeting of this nature will be coming up from time to time, so we can brainstorm on ways forward.
In view of the above, we all have a lot to do in repositioning the Board. Therefore, I invite you to do all you can, in rebranding trado-medical practitioners, as people that restore the sick back to health,” he said.
Chief Ugbesia explained that the vision of the Board is aimed at creating an enabling and regulated environment for the provision of quality traditional, complementary, and alternative medical services with a view to promoting and attaining universal health coverage in Edo.
He added that its mission is “To effectively regulate and control the training and practice of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners in the State through capacity building.”
Delivering his lecture entitled “Indigenous Medicine and Cultural Practices in Contemporary Times in Edo State: A Call for Synergy,” Prof. Matthew Izibili said the importance of traditional medicine in society cannot be overemphasised.
He, however, noted that despite its many benefits, indigenous medicine continues to face several challenges in contemporary times, and called for proper synergy among stakeholders.
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