Bamenda: Tradi-Practioners Recount Strides Made in Curbing Clandestine Abortion Among Young Girls, Women

By Martial Gnoukapasi

L-R: Dr Isidore, Dr Abiodun, Dr Mofor

At Doctor Abiodun's Raynbow Naturopathic Research Herbal Clinic - Finance junction, he tells us that the inscription 'a.k.a Flusher' on the signpost had and is still being misinterpreted by some young girls and women, who, not until after visiting the institution, are of the impression that the clinic also specializes in terminating pregnancy, which is not the case.

He explained to MNews237 that, though he hasn't been approached by anyone for abortion this year, there were times before that a month won't go by without at least two or three young girls showing up to him for abortion.

"It use to be uncountable when i started practice, but as the years went by it dropped drastically to 2-3 a month. Back then, when we received cases of young girls or women wanting to get rid of unwanted pregnancies, what we did which we still put into practice now, is try to counsel and advise them against it, reminding them that there were people spending millions just to have a baby, with others praying to miss their period for just a day to confirm their fertility status. While some will listen to our advice, others will simply thank you and tell you straight to the face that they can't keep the pregnancy before leaving."

Dr Abiodun of Raynbow Naturopathic Research Herbal Clinic

To him, referring someone to a hospital or doctor back then was like giving that individual, an alternative way of terminating the pregnancy, but today it's different.

"We now understand that we can do more and have been doing much. We have girls who come to us bleeding and with such cases you don't have to blink before referring them to the nearest health facility. There are even non abortion cases that comes to me that will require laboratory diagnosis. I don't have such equipments, reason i must refer these patients to the hospital for diagnosis. Some conventional doctors also refer some cases to us"

Dr Isidore of Isidore's Modern Holistic Herbal Clinic at cow street told MNews, Thursday June 23 as well that, after the training by the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Cameroon(SOGOC) to curb maternal mortality and morbidity, organized under the first phase of the Advocacy for Comprehensive Abortion Care(ACAC) program back in November of 2021, he has received a good number of cases of young girls and women coming to him for unsanctioned abortion.

The knowledge gained during the training he said, is what has helped him handle the situations maturely.

"Since I'm not a specialist in the field, the first thing I do when they come is to try an find out the reason why they want to abort, not failing to remind that clandestine abortion is an act is punishable by law" he said

Dr Isidore of Isidore's Modern Holistic Herbal Clinic

The herbal practitioner said some heed to his advice but for those who insists, he simply tell them he can't do it.

"I got a situation of a lady few weeks back who came with a 3months pregnancy, telling me she was raped and can't stand the fact the man will be the father of her baby. Since I'm very much aware that illegal abortion is punishable by law, i only directed her to a hospital like I do with others, to go and present her case and if need be the doctors there will handle it properly" he said

"Some come with cases of HIV, some short of blood, some come with pregnancy complications. I simply refer them to health facilities and the medical personnels are happy with what I'm doing" he added.

Speaking about his collaboration with those in the conventional medicine field, says the goal is to see everyone in good health for a healthy community.

He told Mnews that, as a specialist, he has his area of competence and cannot go beyond. Reason why patients who come to him with ailments out of his competence are refered.

Isidore said as a researcher, what he has done is come up have with a one hundred percent natural product which patients can take to avoid pregnancy before intercourse, which is very effective.

Dr Mofor of the Clinic of Phythotherapy is also one of those who benefited from the training on what to do to curb maternal mortality and morbidity organized under the ACAC project.

Dr Mofor of Mofor's Clinic of Phythotherapy

He confessed to also have had specifically, four cases of young girls who have approached him for unsafe abortion since the training.

"One of them even told me it was something she has done before. The good thing is the program helped linked us to some medical doctors and communication between me and them has been good. With me i don't just refer, i always like to follow up and I'm proud to say that whenever i do, i often realized later that it was the right thing to do" he said

The training he acknowledged, brought him to realize that though working from different angles, the vision for both those in conventional medicine and herbal practitioners is one, which is that of saving lives.