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Front Page Association throws out 25 alien traditional healersby Hyasint Mchau and Staff Writer The Association of Local Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Arusha District has thrown out of the municipality 25 aliens who were believed to have been "healing" people through some dubious means. According to the executive secretary of the association, Mshamu Nyaki, there has been an influx of individuals who profess to be traditional doctors, some even claiming to be in position to perform "miracles". In view of that the Arusha District Traditional Medicine Association (ADTMA) also known as CHAWATIATA, recently conducted a special search under which the operation to flush out imposting practitioners was executed. Most of the "doctors", according to the ADTMA secretary, were found to be immigrants hailing from other parts of the country and the majority did not have the relevant licences to practice. The alien ‘doctors’ were also accused by ADTMA of fooling gullible victims and robbing them of valuable items, money and even demanding sexual favours from women customers as means of payment. The traditional "healers" operated from local guest houses in rented rooms, where their unwitting customers would always queue for services. Among the curative services that were being promised by the "healers" include, cures for sexually transmitted diseases, some even claimed to be able to offer HIV-AIDS remedies, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, skin ailments and stomach problems. The huge noticeboards being displayed by the "doctors" outside their guest house bases, also claimed abilities to find lost children, through miracle powers, provide love portions, save marriages and offer wonder-working charms for both protection and boosting business ventures. ADTMA was compelled to take this precautions following recent reports of malpractice by people claiming to be traditional healers like the recent case in Dar es Salaam city, where a "healer" was alleged to be murdering his customers by sucking off their blood. Meanwhile, the chairman of ADTMA-CHAWATIATA, Suleiman Ruwa, has called upon all certified traditional medicine practitioners to cooperate and work closely together, to improve their services and drugs. He cautioned that it was dangerous and unprofessional for practitioners to include "magic" or witchcraft in their work since herbal medicine is effective enough and, in fact, even the government has started to recognize it.
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