South Africa: Traditional Healers Say Referral System With Public Clinics Needs to Work Both Ways

Traditional healers in South Africa are expressing concerns that the current referral system between traditional medicine and public clinics is not effective, as patients can fall through the cracks. Nozuko Nkunzi, a traditional health practitioner from Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, argues that South Africa's plans to integrate traditional medicine into the public healthcare system will fail without clear referral pathways, shared protocols, and practical training for collaboration between the two systems.

While government has provided training on patient care and health-system collaboration, practitioners often lack the basic materials to apply what they've learned, according to Nkunzi. Additionally, patients may be discouraged from disclosing traditional medicines they use by healthcare workers who view them as unsafe or "demonic."

Patrick Mdletshe, deputy chairperson of the KZN Civil Society Forum, notes that while traditional health practitioners are increasingly recognized as partners in South Africa's response to HIV, TB, and sexually transmitted infections, the referral process can be one-directional, with practitioners receiving little feedback on patient outcomes.

Dr. Ntloleng Mabena, a GP and public health specialist, emphasizes the need for communication, mutual learning, and referrals between Western medicine and traditional African healing, rather than viewing them as competing systems. Full integration of traditional medicine into South Africa's healthcare system is expected to occur once the draft policy on African Traditional Medicine is approved, but the process is currently hindered by public complaints about the slow pace of integration and calls for stronger regulation and scientific evaluation of traditional medicines.