Cancer patients are running to witchdoctors, medics complain

Medics have warned cancer patients against running to witchdoctors and herbalists for cure.
Mr James Kafeero, one of the doctors from Uganda Cancer Institute, Mulago Hospital said many Ugandans are dying of cancer as a result of reporting late for cancer treatment in both government and private health facilities.

“As doctors we always first talk to our patients to track down where they have been getting their medication but on several occasions, we found out that most of our patients who die, it is as a result of visiting witchdoctors and drinking herbal medicine thinking that witchdoctors can treat cancer yet it is not true,” said Mr Kafeero.
He revealed this during the cancer awareness programme at St. Daniel Combon Senior Secondary School at Matany village, Napak District where the Uganda Child Cancer Foundation (UCCF) Programme Coordinator, Mr Ben Ikara also said many people have lost lives for trusting witchdoctors with false belief that they can be cured of cancer.
“I am warning all the young people and old persons to stop trusting witchdoctors and herbalists with their lives because Uganda keeps on losing its people following the increasing number of cancer patients who visits shrines,” Mr Ikara said.

UCI and UCCF are currently in a cancer awareness drive among students and pupils of different schools across the country.
Mr Ikara urged other government institutions like the police and the Ministry of Health to join the fight against cancer by arresting all witchdoctors who are deceiving unsuspecting patients and reaping them of their money.

He said they have introduced Children Caring about Cancer (3Cs) in schools, a strategy they use to recruit pupils and students in various schools to increase awareness about cancer among their parents and nearby communities.
“As members of 3C Axis, we have decided to engage young children because we think that they are the leaders of tomorrow and we need to build their capacity in the fight against cancer. So far we have recruited children in more than 85 schools secondary schools in the last 5 years,” he said.