No male organ enlargement medicine, says Zinatha

THE Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) has described as bogus traditional healers who claim to offer male organ enlargement medicine as a survey has shown that of more than 50 000 healers who were called to come forward with the natural medicine by a United Kingdom company for a fee, no one did.

Zinatha president Mr George Kandiero told Sunday News last week that research by his organisation has also established that no such traditional medicine exists.

Mr Kandiero warned of possible serious health ramifications if members of the public use the male organ enlargement medicine prescribed by the bogus traditional healers.

He challenged anyone who has had their male sexual organs enlarged to come out in the open and give testimony.

"In all my 24 years as a traditional healer I have never come across such medicine. Some two years ago, as Zinatha we were tasked by a UK-based Consultancy Company to come up with a natural substance that can enlarge male organs.

"We put adverts in the media, approached all our 50 000 or so members asking anyone who had such a remedy to come forward but no one did. The money was good but no one could provide us with the medicine.

"We have also done researches through our committee on research and documentation and no such medicine was found. If there is anyone who had their organ enlarged let them come out in the open," he said.

Mr Kandiero said the traditional healers and herbalists who were selling "male enlargement" medicines were blatant crooks bent on hoodwinking desperate Zimbabweans.

He urged people to consult registered and licenced traditional healers and not gamble with their health by engaging bogus practitioners.

"If you hear anyone making such a claim that they can enlarge male sexual organs that person is an outright crook. These people are simply taking advantage of desperate people.

"Something needs to be done to protect people from falling prey to such bogus traditional healers," he said.

Meanwhile, Zinatha has embarked on a nationwide outreach programme to re-register traditional healers in the country to update its database which was last updated five years ago.

Mr Kandiero said registration of traditional healers will help protect members of the public from falling victim to unlicenced practitioners whose practice is not regulated and monitored by the State.

So far outreaches have been held in Harare, Bulawayo and Manicaland, with Mr Kandiero saying the exercise has been received with mixed feelings.

"There are a lot of people who are operating without licences and this is an opportunity for them to come and regularise their practice with the authorities. By registering traditional healers we are not only updating our database but it is also a mechanism to protect members of the public from bogus traditional healers," he said. Mr Kandiero also urged members of the public to always ask for a practitioner's licence when they visit traditional healers for help, pointing out that it was criminal for anyone to practice without a licence.

"It is illegal for one to operate without a licence from Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TMPC) under the Ministry of Health and Child Care. For one to get that licence they have to be registered with Zinatha first," he said.

"We have an ethics committee which is responsible for screening. If one claims to be a traditional healer they have to undergo interviews to ascertain if indeed they are genuine," he said.

Added Mr Kandiero, "Members of the public should always make it a point that they ask for a practitioner's licence before they are treated.

The country has over the years been witnessing an increase in "foreign" traditional healers and herbalists who offer to help people find lost lovers, heal incurable diseases and turn economic fortunes for the poor.

"Most of these traditional healers advertise in the local Press, claiming to be foreign yet investigations have shown that they are locals."