NANTMP set to check quackery in traditional medicine

National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine (NANTMP) has said it is setting up a special task force to mobilise and monitor the practitioners in order to uphold the ethics and ideals of traditional medicine while eliminating charlatanism.

NANTMP’s National Secretary General, Professor Dayo Oyekole made the disclosure at the opening of the association’s summit of major stakeholders and zonal and state leaders in traditional medicine practitioners in South-East, South-South and South-West zones.

Oyekole said despite special attributes of traditional medicines, NANTMP has received incessant reports from the general public about some fraudulent, fake styled traditional medicine practitioners who indulge in nefarious activities like scam, ritual killing, kidnapping as well as production and sales of unwholesome and adulterated medicines.

Oyekole said that many Nigerians were lured by these traditional medicine practitioners through frivolous and unsubstantiated claims on mass media.

According to him, lack of enforceable rules and guidelines in many parts of the country has provided opportunity for either qualified or unqualified practitioners to claim professional competence in the public without regards to public safety.

He, however, assured that the NANTMP’s special task force was “with due regards to honest traditional and socio-cultural practices without prejudice, and in line with the aspirations of the general public and the major stakeholders on healthcare delivery, nationwide.”

The NANTMP’s secretary, however, urged for unity among the members of the association, asking that members resolve amicably any conflicting issues militating against good traditional medical practice in the country.

While soliciting the support of the mass media and law enforcement agents on sanitising traditional medical practice, he urged the Federal government for political support to promote and develop traditional medicine to acceptable global standard.

According to him, “starting with the Primary Health care, government should also look into export potentials of herbal and medicinal products which in my view can boost the national economy and enhance the socio-economic growth of the majority of our urban and rural peasants.”

Meanwhile, in the communiqués issued at the end the stakeholders, NANTMP members called for capacity building for herbal practitioners and an end to herbal exhibition and trado-medical trade fairs pending due process, clearance and certification by NANTMP.

They also asked that the government expedite action on, and sign into law the traditional medicine bill which is pending before the National Assembly.

Also, they urged that botanical gardens be established in every state in Nigeria and bush burning discouraged in order to preserve medicinal bio-resources.