FCT community resorts to herbalists for healthcare

Residents of Chibiri community in Kuje Area Council now resort to herbalists for the treatment of their children due to lack of adequate healthcare facility in the area. The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that over the years, they have lost many children to seizures and other ailments. […]

Residents of Chibiri community in Kuje Area Council now resort to herbalists for the treatment of their children due to lack of adequate healthcare facility in the area.

The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that over the years, they have lost many children to seizures and other ailments.

Mrs Fatima Yusuf, a 52-year-old female herbalist, said she treated children in the community with herbs.

“I treat children with seizure that parents bring here when they are almost dying and most times if they are taken to the hospital they die because this kind of seizure doesn’t like injections.

“I get my herbs mostly from the forest close to lakes and valleys and that has a lot of relevance to the effectiveness of the medicine I make from it.”

She said the children stop having seizures immediately she gave the parent some herbs to administer.

Mr Musa Sarki, a 93-year old herbal specialist in the community, said he treats children who show symptoms of vomiting and purging.

Sarki said he takes care of children that have teething problems especially those whose parents have taken them to the hospital and it still persisted.

“I have been doing this all my life. It is a family secret that only those identified with it can do the medication. That is why parents can’t just go and pluck leaves and give their children.

“I normally give the parents leave to boil and give to the children at home and the medicines must not be taken with any tablets or drugs,” he said.

He said he gets his remedies from the forest and that it took two to three days for the patients to heal.

Malama Safia Abubakar, a mother of one of the patients at the herbalist centre, said she resorted to herbal treatment due to lack of proper medical facilities in the community.

“Yes there is healthcare centre but there are not enough facilities. So I always go to the herbalist for treatment especially for my children.

“The antenatal here isn’t really good and they don’t even stay overnight so we sometimes mix the traditional and modern medicines,” she said.

Ms Habiba Ibrahim, a nurse at the Chibiri Healthcare Centre said they lacked essential facilities to cater for all the needs of the residents.

Ibrahim said the healthcare centre always referred patients to Kuje Hospital for further care.

She said reports had been made to the health secretariat of the FCT for upgrade of services offered to the teeming residents of the community.