| Business |
Herbal medicine,
an untapped industry
By GABRIEL FITO
A recent national policy approving
traditional medicine as an integral part of the formal health
system is welcome news for traditional practitioners to continue
providing remedies for illnesses where modern medicine fails.
Boom Tucker Herbs practitioner, Kevin Mark Sawang from Murik
Lakes, East Sepik province told the National that the NEC decision
to approve a national policy on traditional medicine was a
blessing for the people.
Kevin has been in the herbal medicine practice for almost nine
years and is an everyday figure at the Dagua market in Wewak,
where he sells his products in white, red, orange and black colors
in 500 milliliter plastic containers.
His clientele come from all districts of the province and Port
Moresby.
Many sick people whom Wewak's Boram General Hospital are unable to
help usually go to Kevin for help.
A large number of patients diagnosed with chronic malaria,
cervical cancer, stomach ulcers, epilepsy, arthritis,
tuberculoses, sexual transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS are
reported to have regained health after taking his herbal medicine.
Sick people from around the two Sepik provinces who have heard of
Kevin's herbal medicines have traveled long distances to his home
at Meni village in Wewak for medicine.
Kevin's uses a 10-speed bicycle to visit patients in town to
supply their doses.
Kevin said his traditional medicine is extracted from very
powerful plants.
He claims to have treated a number of HIV positive people who have
later shown medical evidence proving they have been cured of their
conditions.
Senior Medical Advisor from the National Aids Council in Port
Moresby Dr Joachim Pantumari approached Kevin in June 2005 and
took samples of his herbal juice and dried specimen to the medical
faculty in Port Moresby for medicinal and nutritional evaluation.
A medical report on a patient tested HIV positive in Wewak at
Boram General Hospital showed negative when he was re-tested after
taking herbal treatment from Kevin in 2005.
Mrs Mel Milicich confined to a wheel chair claims to have recently
regained use of his legs after taking Kevin's herbal medicine for
two weeks.
"I was confined to a wheel chair for three months and had to be
moved around by people. I left the hospital with medical supplies
but the treatment did not help me at all. But after taking the
herbs for two weeks I had left the wheel chair and I am excited
that I can now freely walk around on my own two feet," Mrs
Milicich said.
Kevin said safe and effective use of herbal medicine has been
practiced all over the world and we should not ignore the merits
of traditional medicine as an important component of our primary
health care system.
He said the recent decision would also further strengthen the
government's Medium Term Development Strategy by creating
employment once all traditional medicine practitioners nationwide
are established.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare when announcing cabinet decision
last month said the Health Department has included a formal
programme on traditional medicine into the National Health Plan
(2001-2010).
Sir Michael said cabinet had also directed the department to
monitor the implementation and coordination of the policy
nationwide and build a national inventory and database on
traditional herbs and its practitioners.
The Department of Attorney-General and Justice has also being
directed to look into the issue of owners right, a compensation
regime under the existing legislation and to review the medicine
and cosmetic act, the copyright act and the intellectual property
right act for the incorporation of traditional medicines
immediately.
Sawang said traditional medicine practitioners should work
together with the formal health system to bring healing and hope
to the sick.
Patients in Wewak can visit him at Dagua Market, those outside the
province can contact him on telephone 6854617 or 6965945 for
information and assistance.
 
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