The Sunday News
Lackson Munkombwe, Features Reporter
CECILIA Mudenda of Siachilaba in Binga thinks about her now crippled mother Jeneth Mudimba every day before she goes to sleep and fights back tears welling in her eyes. She often sees her in her dreams as her mind continues replaying the events of the fateful day that crippled her mother.
Mudenda regrets the moment she performed traditional surgery on her mother who was suffering from a prolonged headache. Ironically, her mother was an expert in that art and had helped a lot of villagers.
And instead of going to the clinic, Mudimba requested her daughter to cut a vein from her forehead, which she believed was going to stop the pain and with her assistance the right vein on the forehead was chucked out.
Mudenda, who says she learnt the practice from her mother cut off the vein but could not believe what she saw after Mudimba lost consciousness for about six hours before she woke up.
Villagers who had already gathered at Mudimba’s homestead fearing that she had died breathed a sigh of relief when she woke up after a long time.
However, there was something unusual with Mudimba as she could not stand on her own. She complained of numbness on her back.
“I was surprised to see my mum pass out after I successfully cut off the vein which was causing her a terrible headache. She had not slept for about three days complaining of the headache. She then asked me to cut the vein, which is normal in the community because a lot of people used to come here for the same practices and they always went away without any complications.”
With Mudimba, who had treated so many people in the village using the same method, it seems the gods had given her their backs.
“After the surgery, a shower of blood gushed out and within seconds about a cup full of blood was lost. My mum lost consciousness and it was in the evening. It was hours before she woke up and people thought she was dead. I was crying uncontrollably as I could not help it,” said Mudenda.
When Mudimba gained consciousness she complained of a sore back, she could not stand and she has not recovered since then.
“When she gained consciousness, she could stand on her own. She was complaining that she felt numb and could not rise up. We thought maybe it was because she lost a lot of blood and or she needed time to regain strength but it took days, weeks, until now and there are no signs of recovery. Her head was swollen too,” Mudenda said.
Mudimba has been bed ridden for more than a month and says she is surprised how things turned out after the ordeal.
“We are looking for money to go and see the doctors in Bulawayo at Mpilo. I was shocked when I found myself in this state in just few hours. I used to do this to a lot of people who complained about pain in any part of the body, usually those who feel pain in the legs, headaches and even on arms.
However, no one has ever done it on me and the moment it happened, the results were not as expected.”
Mudimba said she taught her daughter to do the surgery and she had done it on a couple of people in the village.
“People are saying my daughter did not have expertise on doing the cutting but I know she knew what she was doing. What happened was just a reaction to something,” she said.
Mudimba confirms that usually when the vein is cut, blood gushes out and some would lose a lot of blood before the vein closes.
“I have witnessed a few people being dazed after their vein is cut. Usually, this happens when someone loses too much blood but in my experience no one has ever passed out. It only happened to me, and I am still wondering what caused me to be paralysed even after the blackout,” she said.
A villager, Mr Collen Muzamba said he once suffered from seizure after his vein was cut on his leg. He said his life was a nightmare for about a year since the wound would not heal in time and sometimes he would just faint.
“I used to feel pain on my leg and I was struggling to walk at times,” said Mr Muzamba.
“I had heard about the process of vein mutation and people used to say it helps. I went there to be cut but the end results were horrible. The pain was enormous and the blood was coming out uncontrollably. I felt dizzy for some time before I gained energy to walk. The blood did not stop and the wound failed to heal for a long time.”
He said people should understand that traditional healers were not trained doctors and whatever they do does not guarantee an ultimate solution to the problem.
“I felt like the women (Mudimba) planted a very deep cut in my leg as she sought for the vein. The razor blade she used also had some reaction or bacteria of some sort. The experience was life threatening until I finally got healed in the end. After that fate I realised that going to the clinic was the best because you get tested for the actual problem. Here, the problem is similar and there is only one solution,” said Mr Muzamba.
A lot of people in Binga practised vein mutation whenever they suffered prolonged pains on any parts of the body. It was believed to be a permanent solution to the problem though there were severe complications during and after the processes.
Scientific studies reveal that there are specific genes which are associated with migraine. A migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours if untreated and the frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. Data show that genetics, hormonal changes in women, food additives, stress and changes in the environment among other factors are major causes of migraines.
Several prevention methods from migraine attack include transcutaneous supraorbital nerve stimulation similar to a headband with attached electrodes, used as a preventive therapy. Other factors include learning to cope with the environment, creating a consistent daily schedule, exercising regularly and reducing the effects of oestrogen and these should be done on doctors’ prescriptions.
Provincial Medical Director for Matabeleland North in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Nyasha Masuka said while there was nothing bad in seeking traditional treatment people should always visit clinics and hospitals.
He said in a study carried in the country, about 88 percent of enrolled HIV patients admitted to seeking help from traditional healers while they were on modern treatment and warned people against over-reliance on traditional treatment whose doses are usually not specified.
Dr Masuka said people must always follow instructions from qualified medical practitioners rather than consulting traditional and faith healers who do not have experience in some of the ailments.
“People should go to clinics so that they are given right doses and get medically examined because some will be having chronic conditions which need serious medical attention,” said Dr Masuka.
He added that traditional healers do not always give right doses to patients seeking help, a situation which he said caused complications to some individuals.
“It’s advisable for someone seeking traditional healers to also look for modern treatment for timely treatment. We need to understand culture where there are people who strongly believe in traditional healers, but they should also be sensitised on various health complications they are likely to come across.
“There are naturally known side effects associated with traditional medicines which can damage liver and kidneys, so people must be wary of getting conditions which can be avoided,” said Dr Masuka.
He said although cases of traditional treatment were rampant in Binga and in other areas in the province the case of Mudimba was not yet brought to his attention.
