By Solomon OKPO
The TrustCare Centre for Regenerative Therapy has faulted the widespread assumption that traditional doctors lack scientific knowledge, insisting that society’s prejudice rather than lack of expertise has fueled the marginalisation of indigenous healing practices.
In a statement titled “The False Assumption About Traditional Doctors”, the centre noted that traditional medicine has been unfairly dismissed as superstition, largely due to stereotypes reinforced by African magic portrayals and popular media.
“Almost everything we celebrate in modern medicine today has its origin in ancient knowledge. The very plants, minerals, and natural remedies first used by traditional healers became the foundation of pharmacology and biomedicine,” the statement read.
The centre lamented that while modern medicine has made giant strides, it often prioritises convenience and profit over genuine healing, leading to a culture of dependency where patients are placed on drugs for life rather than being restored to health.
By contrast, traditional medicine, according to the centre, places emphasis on responsibility, balance, and harmony with nature, viewing health as a holistic integration of lifestyle, environment, spirit, and body.
“Wearing a white coat does not automatically make one a healer, just as wearing traditional garments does not make one backward. Healing is not in the title but in the results,” TrustCare stressed.
It further argued that patients do not care whether their healing comes from a traditional herb, a prescription drug, or a combination of both, as long as they are restored to health and freed from dependency.
The centre called for a complementary relationship between traditional and modern medicine, rather than rivalry, to achieve better outcomes in healthcare delivery.
“The ultimate goal is health, not ego. Until we learn this, society will continue to lose the gift of balance that could bring true healing to humanity,” it concluded.
