The Ministry of Health and Child Care says individuals showing coronavirus symptoms can seek the services of traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) on their own volition as there is no medicine to treat COVID-19 as the disease has no cure.
Principal director curative services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Sydney Makarau was speaking after reports indicated that the ministry had given TMCs the green light to treat the novel coronavirus. Said Makarau:
While the Ministry acknowledges the role of traditional medicine, we do not give blessings on non-evidence based remedies.
Our dilemma however, is that some people within our population would still want to consult traditional healers and we cannot deny them that opportunity if they wish to do so.
They can do so on their own volition but without us as Ministry having to necessarily rubber-stamp their claims in instances where they are not backed by science.
A letter dated April 1, 2020, from the Ministry to the City Health Director, Dr Prosper Chonzi, authorised traditional healers to assist suspected COVID-19 patients with herbal remedies.
Dr Chonzi is in charge of Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital which has been set aside for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.