News
HST Collects relevant news from a variety of sources, for your convenience. Select a story from below, or use our search feature to find stories of interest.

Traditional healers scorn medical aid for cash
The Sowetan
2001-02-23

Protracted and involved efforts will have to be undertaken before traditional healers can be formally recognised and rewarded for their work, according to the Health Ministry. But those efforts might turn out to be worthless. Many of the country's healers take a dim view of formal recognition in terms of patients having their medical aid schemes pay for them.

Protracted and involved efforts will have to be undertaken before traditional healers can be formally recognised and rewarded for their work, according to the Health Ministry. But those efforts might turn out to be worthless. Many of the country's healers take a dim view of formal recognition in terms of patients having their medical aid schemes pay for them.

Such payment would be convenient for patients but inconvenient for us traditional healers, said Mr Sazi Mhlongo, president of Traditional Healers of South Africa, which boasts 350 000 members. We want to be paid in cash when we burn our imphepho (muti for invoking the ancestors). Now, without cash, how will we be able to communicate with our ancestors? Mhlongo asked. "... Besides, since some medical aid schemes are fake, we would be giving our services for mahala." 

However, he pointed out that he was only speaking on behalf of affiliated KwaZulu-Natal healers under the provincial traditional healers' council. All provinces need to make decisions on their own, Mhlongo said. 

Ms Joanne Collinge, chief communications director of the Health Ministry, said traditional healers needed to be recognised as the Medical Schemes Act of 1998 had excluded them. It would be appropriate to bring them on board as well because many people consult them, said Collinge. So those people should not feel disadvantaged. However, she conceded that steps towards recognition, as enjoyed by Western practitioners, would be difficult. It will be a long way to go towards standardising traditional healing services in accordance with their specialities and tariffs, she said. There is a great variety of healers and no groundwork has ever been done to establish systematic approaches. The healers should have a committee to register them professionally.
(Source: Sowetan, 21/02.01)

Keywords	This Item is associated with the Following Keywords: .
You Can Comment on this Item, or View other people's Comments
Easy Print  Email to a friend

	Related News
	Medical aids to examine bill on traditional healers (2004-09-17) Sangomas fight back in sick note saga (2004-08-18) Silver lining for traditional healers (2007-07-05) Manto still talking to traditional healers (2008-02-08) SA approves law to recognise sangomas (2004-09-11)

	Related Publications
	Traditional Medicines and Traditional Healers in South Africa - Discussion Document (2004-03-31) Traditional Healers (2000-04-18) Collaboration with traditional healers in HIV/AIDS prevention and care in sub-Saharan Africa - A literature review (2004-03-31) Traditional Health Practitioners Bill (2004-03-31) Women in Health (2000-05-05)

	Related Health Statistics
	Percentage of households by type of housing (2004-05-12) Pensioner ratio (2004-10-11) Per capita expenditure (non-hospital PHC) (2007-08-17) Public sector dependent population (2004-10-11) Claims ratio (2004-10-11)

	Related Events
	2nd International Conference on Traditional Medicine (2001-07-20) 4th International Conference & Exhibition on Traditional Medicine (2004-07-19) African Conference on Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research (2002-09-01) SAMA conference - Strategies for the Survival of Doctors in South Africa (2003-09-20) Healthcare Financing Course at University of Pretoria in 2005 (2005-05-30)

	Related links
	African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines Council for Medical Schemes Department of Provincial and Local Government International Society for Ethnopharmacology (ISE) The Perinatal Education Programme (PEP)

	Related Content
	HST Update (2004-06-11) Summary Bulletin 7 - DHS-LG Discussion List (2004-07-16) SAHR 2007: Media Coverage (2007-12-12) Summary Bulletin 8 - DHS-LG Discussion List (2004-07-16) Summary Bulletin 10 (August) - DHS-LG Discussion List (2004-07-16)