By Tamfu Harrison Bawe in Yaounde
Publicity-seeking
tradi-practitioners who spend most of their time on radio, television and on
the pages of newspapers; advertising their products will soon face the strong
arm of the law. News organs which act as accomplices in the fake publicity of
traditional medicine may also not be spared.
A
highly-dependable source in the ministry of public health hinted The Guardian
Post at the week-end that the decision has been taken to stop what he calls
“Fake media publicity on traditional medicine despite repeated warnings by
public officials”.
Worthy to
note that the announcement to crackdown on tradi-practitioners who continue to
inundate radio and television airwaves and pages of newspapers with publicity
about their products is coming barely days after one of such well-known
publicity-seeking tradi-practitioners was in Bamenda to tell journalists about
the “wonders” and the “miraculous healing powers” of his products.
“Media
outlets have become veritable channels for just any Tom, Dick and Harry who can
pay to take up space and advertise cures for some of the most difficult
diseases; many which have proven to be incurable”, our informant lamented.
On the
sidelines of the observation of the public health official quoted above, it is
common to hear on radio, watch on television or read on the pages of newspapers
advertisement like “The miraculous power, the balm of Africa”, “Healing
miracles all over the place, where there is no cure, --- is the hope and
answer”.
But according
to the law that will soon be reinforced, perpetrators of such fake publicity
will henceforth face the strong arm of the judiciary. It should be recalled
that articles 42 and 43 of the December 29, 2006 law on publicity proscribes
advertising medicine and practices in the media. Our informant added that the
punishment on defaulters may range from suspension to eventual closure of their
clinics all over the country.
Our informant
was however categorical that health sensitization campaigns like that carried
out by Cameroon’s leading international tradi-practitioner, Dr. Dewah, will not
attract any sanction(s). “We encourage other tradi-practitioners in the country
to emulate the kind of media health sensitization campaigns Dr. Dewah is
doing”, he said.
Gullible and
helpless patients have equally been warned by health authorities to be ware of
tradi-practitioners who spend time on radio, television and on the pages of
newspapers advertising products whose effectiveness have not been
scientifically proven.
“This group of
tradi-practitioners who spend time advertising their products instead of doing
health sensitization campaigns are just out to make money”, the senior health
official warned.
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