Doctors strike: Mad rush for native doctors

Some residents in the Eastern Region have resorted to visiting herbal centres for healthcare as doctors extend their killer strike to demand better conditions of service.

Some of the herbal centres, though with limited facilities, are admitting patients who need intensive health care to save their lives.

A visit to the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region revealed that many residents are resorting to herbal treatment to cure their ailments as a result of the ongoing strike by the Ghana Medical Associations.

When the Daily Heritage visited a native doctor at Perpetifi, a village in the Yilo Krobo district, it found many patients had trooped to seek healthcare from John Apenahia, a native doctor who has been offering healthcare to residents since 1974.

He told the paper in an interview that he cures diabetes, stroke, breast cancer and performs minor surgery.

Mr Apenahia showed pictures of diseases he had cured including diabetes, fractured legs and breast cancer.

Even though the native doctor has no formal education, he says, he administers both herbal and orthodox medicines to cure diseases reported at his facility. He also admits bedridden patients at his facility.

Some of the patients suffering from diabetes, stroke, elephantiasis, malaria and other serious diseases told the paper that because there are no doctors to attend to them at the hospitals in their areas, they decided to seek herbal healthcare at the facility.

Others too said the facility was recommended to them by friends who had been cured by the herbalist.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has commenced investigations into the activities of the herbalist.

According to Dr. Charity Sarpong, the Yilo Krobo District Health Director, the directorate has been ordered to visit the facility to assess the activities of the herbalist, in particular, how he administers Orthodox medicines and how he performs minor surgery on patients who seek healthcare at the facility.

She said, even though the GHS recognizes efforts of herbalists in healthcare delivery, it is mindful of strict adherence to standard procedures to ensure that the health needs of the people is not jeopardized.

According to her, all health facilities are operational in the Eastern region; hence, patients seeking healthcare should not be hesitant since they would be taken good care of when they visit the facilities.