A 22-year-old herbalist, Millicent Akinyi is in custody,Kitale town as investigations continue for killing a one and half year old child.
It is reported the child had cerebral palsy and the mother took him to the herbalist to seek treatment. In an attempt to heal the child the herbalist boiled water, added salt and some herbal medicine and thereafter dipped the child into the boiling water.
The child was rushed to Hospital but eventually succumbed to the burns.
Taking herbal remedies is tempting. Testimonials abound from people who have solved their medical problems with “safe, natural” and over-the-counter pills. And there’s plenty of literature, in print, on the Internet and on TV – from companies that manufacture and sell these products. But informed consumers need to know that there are very few valid medical studies on herbal remedies, their safety, effectiveness or mechanisms of action.
Herbal medicine remains largely an unproven, inexact science. Although the history of herbal medicine provides decades, sometimes centuries, of anecdotal information, scientific study of herbal medicine is relatively new
Herbal medicines are not good for serious cases such as heart attack and broken bones. These medicines are also ineffective in sudden illnesses and accidents.
Herbal remedies and medicine for certain disorders may have negative side effects, which often takes a long time to reveal.
But why are Kenyans so desperate thus becoming an easy target for bogus herbalists? Most of the patients who go to them have terminal cases and that is why they are ready to believe in anything.
Well having heard the worst from these methods please seek the right remedies when it comes to serious health issues so as not to end up more traumatised unnecessarily because of being conned by the likes of unprofessional herbalists.