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{
    "id": 116334,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/116334/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 441,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "We now have an influx of Maasai herbal medicine. Let us not discount it; it is effective. The only thing is to establish who are practising it, and whether there are quacks amongst them. One of the problems we have had in the hospital has been quacks, who do not know anything about herbal medicine. Herbal medicine in its true form will never hurt a person, even if it is the wrong medicine. The human body will not be adversely affected. However, nowadays, quacks mix herbal medicine with lethal substances. They mix herbal medicines with alcohol and very many concoctions of other medicines such that the person who takes them feels that his body has been affected somehow. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, most of the time, they realise that they have been attended to by quacks who have given them lethal doses of medicines. We have had quite a number of people who have suffered very badly. At times, we have discharged people from hospital, after realising that there was nothing we could do for them. They have switched over to herbal medicine treatment and they have done very well. Today, I want to stand here and recognise the efforts of one gentleman who has stalwartly protected and practiced herbal medicine in this country. I have known him for over 25 years. We need people like Dr. Githae and others, who can actually form an organisation or the medical board for alternative medicine. Alternative medicine covers so many types of medicines. I am not sure whether in this country, we have any standards on homeopathic medicine. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is also other medicine like oil therapy and magnetic therapy. I am not too sure whether these are medicines or therapies. However, we find people in this city looking for cheaper forms of treatment, hence they will go anywhere they can get hope. It is very important that we crackdown on quarks. Western medicine and the western world is already awake to alternative and herbal medicine. When you go to Britain and other places, they sell herbal medicine from trees we can get in the Mt. Kenya area and the coast. As I said, hospitals now need to get some direction. I am sitting opposite a former Provincial Medical Officer (PMO)--- Hospitals need some direction as to who and how they can encompass practitioners of herbal and alternative medicines because they go hand in hand. With the great proliferation of medicines from questionable sources, most of which is adulterated and not medicine at all, we need alternatives. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, alternative medicine can be effected. We can have a rule and some sort of direction for herbal medicine. With those few words, I would like to support this Motion. I hope that we will get a law soon."
}