Keta: Herbalist calls for deeper collaboration between Government and Traditional Practitioners.
Friday, March 25, 2022
A renowned herbal medicine practitioner and traditional priest at Vui near Keta in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, Hunor Foli Negbegble Segbeawu has stressed the need for government to deepen its collaboration with traditional herbal experts to address the numerous health challenges facing Ghanaians. Hunor Segbeawu made the appeal in an interview with our newsteam during this year’s annual convention of the members of the Dzaglidosu Shrine at Vui.
Members of the Torgbui Dzaglidosu Shrine number about five hundred (500) and dotted across the length and breadth of the country and beyond.
The weeklong convention afforded the members the opportunity to take stock of their lives and also renew their faith in their god for protection and development in all spheres of their lives in the New Year.
The line-up of activities marking the annual celebration depicted an exhibition of the rich cultural values and traditions of the people of Anlo which according to the organizers are gradually losing grounds due to the advent of Christianity over the years as well as the importation of foreign culture into the African society and space amongst others.
The god, according to its owners and the Priest takes care of all manner of both physical and spiritual ailments and challenges with the use of herbs taking the centre stage of its operations.
The Renowned Herbalist and Priest in-charge of the Shrine, Foli Negbegble Segbeawu called on government to deepen its collaboration with traditional herbal practitioners and experts in the country to solve many of the country’s health problems.
According to Priest Segbeawu who had practiced herbal medicine for the past four (4) decades, the role of traditional medicine in the country’s health delivery system cannot be over-emphasized, adding that when given the full opportunity and space, they as traditional herbal experts and practitioners can impact positively on the lives and health challenges of Ghanaians.
Hunor Foli maintained that there are still a lot of ailments amongst the populace that can fully and effectively be cured by herbal medicine, saying the herbal medicine sector has not only evolved positively over the years but also proved efficacious following the approval of a lot of herbal medications by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for use by Ghanaians under its regulatory policies.
The Priest rejected suggestions that herbal medicine practitioners are in keen competition with orthodox medicine believers and practitioners, adding that the two sectors should not be seen as complementing each other in addressing the health needs of Ghanaians. He lauded the Ministry of Health (MOH) for opening herbal medicine units at some of its hospitals and health facilities across the country, saying it emphasized the importance of the sector to the health delivery system of the country.
Hunor Segbeawu noted that available evidence suggests that the use of herbal medicine has also helped many of its users. According to him, the time has come for government to deepen its collaborative efforts with herbal medicine practitioners to streamline the sector for the benefit of Ghanaians and the country.
‘Torgbui Dzaglidosu’ is a healing and protective god which ‘infected’ Hunor Foli Negbegble Segbeawu at a tender age of about eighteen (18) years when he was at Akosombo in the Eastern Region.
With his forty (40) year rich experience in herbal medicine practice coupled with the spiritual directions of his god, Hunor Segbeawu said he has been able to take care of several hundreds of patients and clients from both within and outside the country with conditions such as mental health disorders, fibroid, infertility issues in both men and women, blood pressure and stroke, stomach ulcer as well as urinary tract infections and challenges amongst others.