An interview with Mr Rene, a traditional medical practitioner In Ekoi psychiatrist clinic, Quarter

Rubber, Mutengene.

The information provided is based on face to face interview with Mr Rene.

1. INTRODUCTION

Traditional medical traditional practitioners are found all over Africa continent. In Cameroon for

instance, they are found not just at the local communities, but in urban settings as well. The

area that interest me most is Mutengene

2. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF INFORMANT

Name: RENE

Age: 32

Sex: Male

Marital status: married

Level of Education: Ordinary Level

3. PROFILE

Mr RENE lives in Mutengene, Fako division, South West Region, Cameroon. From what I

gathered from him through face to face interview, he has been in to the field for 25years now.

He began as traditional healer since when he was age ten. He works at EKOI PSYCHIATRIST

CLINIC based at Quarter Rubber in Mutengene, South West Region of Cameroon. The clinic is

considered as one of the most popular psychiatrist clinic in Mutengene.

4. THE TYPE OF PATIENTS HE TREATS

He treats patients with mental distortion, stomach ulcer, Pile, fungi infections leg ulcer and

cases of poison. From what I got from him, I was made to understand that he receives patients

not just around Mutengene, but also from all part of Cameroon and at international level.

5. SOURCES OF MEDICINE

He gets his medicine from the bushes around his vicinity, from the CDC rubber plantation, and

from Mount Fako. These medicines are herbs, shrubs and tree leaves from these forest.

6. MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS

He quarantines the patients based on their illnesses. Those with mental cases have their own

room same with the other cases.

7. METHOD OF TREATMENT

Treatment is based on concoction of the leaves gotten from the sources mentioned above. It is

believed that the dosage given to each patient is determined greatly by the supernatural force

who gives him instruction on what amount to give, at what time and so on.

8. PATIENT RESPOND TO TREATMENT

The respond of patient to treating is guaranteed provided he keep taking his medication

regularly and also the care given too such patient. If all these are met, A patient with severe

case may only take few months to recover fully. The clinic also has a follow up system through

individual record card of every patient.

ACCOMODATION CAPACITY OF THE CLINIC

Based on the statistic record card from last year till day the clinic had been able to

accommodate over three hundred patient comfortably.

9. SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD

Looking at the services offered by this traditional healer one would have espected him to

charge large sum of money. This is not the case as he made me to understand that there are a

lot of rules binding this profession as supernatural laws regulate what the patient has to pay as

fee for treatment to commence. ‘ I can only take what the gods ask me to take’ he pointed out.

If this laws are broken, it is believed that that the treatment will not be a success. Again he

made me to understand that any extra amount of money receive from patient after treatment

could be as a free will donation not by force. Through this he gets his livelihood.

10. DIFFICULTIES

There can be no success without difficulties. Here he faces challenges like patients with serious

mental problem. Most often they are very violent and that poses a serious problem of drugs

administration. Some patients may not take their treatment regularly this is a problem. Some

family members may not be there to give intensive care to the patient like helping in wasting

their clothes and so on.

CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF INFORMANT

3. PROFILETHE TYPE OF PATIENTS HE TREATS

4. SOURCES OF MEDICINE

5. MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS

6. METHOD OF TREATMENT

7. PATIENT RESPOND TO TREATMENT

8. ACCOMODATION CAPACITY OF THE CLINIC

9. SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD

10. DIFFICULTIES

UNIVERSITY OF BUEA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

COURSE TITLE: Ethno-medicine and Anthropology

COURSE CODE: ANT615

Presented By

EBAI WILLIAM EGBE

(SM14P125)

Course Instructor: Dr AKOKO ROBERT

FEBUARY 2015

A TRADITIONAL MEDICAL PRACTIONER, HIS THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND HOW

HE GOES ABOUT THIS PRACTICE