Parliament says Zimbabwe should allocate funds for research into traditional medicines in 2022 budget

4.6    Status of the Relationship between the Conventional Medical Practitioners (CMPs) and Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs)

4.6.1   Although the Ministry of Health and Child Care has made efforts to put in place legal frameworks that enable the Traditional Medical Practitioners to practice freely, it was evident that a lot still needs to be done to demystify the practice. According to Ms. Guhwa, the working relationship between the Conventional Medical Practitioners (CMPs) and the Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs) is characterised with friction due to lack of appreciation of the strength of each practice.  She highlighted the following as some of the causes of the friction:

1. a) Stereotyping and use of derogatory language when referring to Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs), for example the term “witchdoctors, which is associated with evil. The enactment of the Witchcraft Suppression Act during colonialism limited the development of the practice and this led to the undermining and stigmatisation of the use of traditional health care and systems;
2. b) Most of the MCAZ staff operate as Conventional Medical Practitioners and have bias towards the conventional health care system or medicines. For purposes of development, this would not yield significant progress; and
3. c) Less collaboration between the TMPs and the Medical School at the University of Zimbabwe in conducting research on the traditional medicines.

4.6.2   Mr.  Kandiero also added that the referral system is one way, meaning to say that it is the TMPs who always openly refer patients for further management to the CMPs and not the other way round. He however, stated that those who do are few and do so in secrecy and this is very disheartening as it does not bring about the desired positive development and promotion of the traditional medical practice in Zimbabwe.

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