By Kopano Dibakwane
SANParks(South African National Parks) hosted a learning workshop with 21 Traditional Healers from 7 villages, at Welverdiend Village, near Orpen Gate, Kruger National Park.
The workshop reportedly aimed to equip Traditional Health Practitioners with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage incidents involving scorpion stings, spider and snake bites.
SAMParks said the Traditional Healers play an important role in society and are often the first responders to incidents involving scorpion stings and spider and snake bites, as well as treating treating such incidents using traditional remedies involving indigenous knowledge passed down through generations for hundreds of years.
However, SANParks stated that newer scientific understanding and knowledge can add value to indigenous knowledge, and when used together, has the potential to enable traditional healers to manage such cases more effectively including referrals of patients to clinics and hospitals.
“ The aim of the training was to share knowledge about how to identify important species, species-specific behaviour, how to avoid being bitten or stung, what type of venom is produced by each, what symptoms can be expected, what factors influence this and most importantly what to do (and what not to do) as a first responder if a person or animal is bitten or stung by a medically important species,” said SANParks.
Various scorpions and snakes were shown to the participants, allowing for discussions about certain practices and beliefs relating to snakes, spiders and scorpions with the experts.
Chairperson of MATHO(Mpumalanga Amalgamated Tradirional Healers Organisation), Mkhulu Fanie Mashaba, said the training was vital and the information will be shared amongst community members.
SANParks acknowledged the important role played by various organisations and individuals in making the training a success, such as SANParks Honorary Rangers, SAEON (South African Environmental Observatory Network), Jonathan Leeming, Lowveld Venom Supplies, and Kruger to canyon biosphere.
