Every October is remembered as Cancer awareness month but even as Kenyans join the world in the campaign and creating awareness, one lady in Nakuru and a survivor of breast cancer says there is need for the conventional medics and herbal medic to work together in eradicating some of the diseases being experienced currently.
Dr Lydia Kemunto Matoke, a survivor of breast cancer and who now operates Hope Natural clinic in Nakuru’s Shabaab area says there is need for the two categories of medics to collaborate in dealing with diseases.
According to Dr.Matoke, most unconventional medics have been viewed as witch doctors something she says is a misconception arguing that there are herbalists who are also trained in the field on traditional medicines.
“There has been a misconception that herbalists are witchdoctors. What I know is that we have herbalists who are trained when it comes to traditional medicines acquired from trees and I want to tell the conventional medics that a time has come for cooperation between the two to better the lives of our people,” said Dr. Matoke.
Addressing media in her clinic on Monday when she organized a free medical checkup, Dr. Matoke reiterated that with respect to breast and prostate cancer patients she decided to organize for the free medical camp to offer some knowledge to the society.
She however regretted that for many years, the conventional medics have never understood that some of the diseases affecting the people can be addressed through unconventional medicine from African trees and herbs.
”Some of you might ask why is it that I cannot go to the hospitals to share this knowledge, it is very simple that up to now in Kenya and even the world as a whole conventional medics have never accepted to work with the traditional or herbalists, something that needs to be addressed” she said.
The herbalist said everyone has cancer.
“No one can boast of not having cancer causing cells since research has shown that we all have the cancer cells irrespective of our gender.Therefore it is a role of everyone to ensure that we follow our tradition by consuming the African foods which help a lot in strengthening our immune system,” she said.
Dr. Matoke, a breast cancer survivor, also took the opportunity to challenge women and men not to ignore matters of health but also come out and go for cancer tests.
“It is so sad that most cancer cases in patients are detected in stage 2 on wards making it very difficult for the patients to be treated.I therefore appeal to everyone in society that let us go for early cancer tests and this will help us” she said.