By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo – Traditional medicines and Indigenous knowledge systems is to be trained at the Great Zimbabwe University medical school which is going to be built to curb the gap in medical science.This was said by the Universities, Vice-Chancellor Professor R.J Zvobgo at the GZU graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Professor Zvobgo called upon the government to upgrade the Masvingo Provincial Hospital for its readiness to partner with the medical school that is on the cards. The school is going to capacitate community midwives.“Another strategic operation of the medical school will be to create synergies and interactions between hospitals trained midwives and community midwives. We know they exist in various traditional, cultural and religious setups hence the need to capacitate them and ensure zero infant and maternal mortality in our community.“In the same breath, we will set up within the same school a centre for the study of Traditional medicines and indigenous knowledge systems, research around which is already taking place. So many of our traditions as Africans are being studied and patented elsewhere, hence we need to tell our own stories and document our own traditions,” he said.
He said that they want Zimbabwe doctors to be equipped with more knowledge about diseases.“Your Excellency, it is also sad to note that Cuban doctor and other external medical researchers know more about diseases in Zimbabwe and Africa than we do. To salvage this anomaly, we are partnering Tilburg University in the Netherlands, in the Netherlands, in the Netherlands, in setting up a Data Service Centre. The Centre will, in addition to other key roles, assist in the documentation and preservation of knowledge in the medical school,” said Prof Zvobgo.
The medical school is going t be built to address the issue of medical specialist shortages.
“The establishment of the School of Medicine at Great Zimbabwe University is important in order to address the critical shortage of medical specialists in the country. Due to the brain drain that we have suffered over the years, the current ratios for the doctor to population size fall far short of the World Health Organisation recommended ratios. The University thus resoled to contribute towards achieving the recommended ratios,” he said
The university has got help to assist build the medical school.“Allow me to here to acknowledge the assistance we have received from Medishare and the outgoing African Union Ambassador to the United States, Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, in sourcing equipment for the medical school, with a value of over two hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars (US$250 000). We are truly grateful,” he said.
The use of traditional medicines has been on the rise lately due to its recommendations by physicians, its availability and fewer side effects.