Limpopo rehabilitation centre focuses on traditional medicine
A counselling and rehabilitation centre with the focus on using African traditional medicine was recently opened in Tafelkop village outside Groblersdal.
LIMPOPO – The centre was officially opened by Doctor Maleke Machingwane with the aim to fight substance abuse in the local community.
Machingwane, a Traditional Health Practitioner (THP) graduate said he saw a need to open Kgomo’a Batho THP Counselling and Rehabilitation Centre following a number of young people who turned to drugs and alcohol abuse.
According to Machingwane, the centre will provide fully fledged traditional health practice counselling service and rehabilitation for drug, nyaope addicts, alcohol and distraught patients who need African traditional medicine and ancestral intervention to their health problems.
“The aim is to promote and develop interest in traditional health practice by encouraging research, education, training and counselling.
“We will also promote contact between various fields of training within traditional health practices in the country and set standards for such training, practices and counseling services,” said Machingwane.
He added they would ensure traditional health practices complied with universally accepted healthcare norms and values.
Machingwane is a graduate of Doctor Conrad Tsiane, a special advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on African traditional medicine.
Since 2006 Doctor Maleke Machingwane was the chairperson of Elias Motsoaledi Traditional Health Practitioners (THP) Council while his mentor Dr Conrad Tsiane was the Sekhukhune District’s Chairperson of the body.
“It is our duty as the centre and the entire THP sector to protect and serve the interests of the members of the public who use or are affected by the services of traditional health practitioners as well as promote public health awareness and ensure the quality of health services within the traditional health practices,” concluded Machingwane.
