.....A ‘Miraculous Drug’ in a ‘Miraculous Technical Report’
Days, weeks and now months have elapsed since our government through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) promised a report, a technical report on Babu’s ‘miraculous drug, many termed it as ‘kikombe’. It was one of the most anticipated reports in our country’s short history. Everyone, regardless of health condition, was anxious to see what this report entails.
The time has come and the waiting game is over. At least for now. On March this year (of course, I’ve seen it on 21 April 2011) a report came out.
The report was assembled by a team of experts in the field of science and medicine. I think many would have thought this report should come up with an empirical finding(s) as to whether the Babu’s ‘cuppa’ is the ‘real panacea’ for the most ‘stubborn’ diseases in the history of mankind. It was claimed, the Babu’s ‘cuppa’ has the power to cure these diseases in a 3 weeks:
1. Blood pressure/Heart disease(s).
2. Diabetic
3. Epileptic
4. Impotence
5. HIV/AIDS, among others.
The ‘Babu’s cuppa’ has been accoladed by people from all walks of life, from politicians to lorry drivers, professional medical doctors to traditionalists, engineers to waiters. Some cabinet ministers and MPs ‘swallowed’ it and even ‘indorsed’ it as a ‘real deal’; among them was a former Home Affairs Minister and Deputy PM, Honourable Lyatonga Mrema (MP) and incumbent Minister for Works, Honourable Dr. John Pombe Magufuli.
But as it was for the ‘miraculous drug’ itself, the report has raised my eyebrows, I should admit. To my mystery, the report didn’t clear my doubts I had before. It’s not insane to say, I’m left in a two-way traffic with no-where to go.
I should emphasise, the authors of the report (on Babu’s drug) are well educated personnel in the area(s). To put things in perspective, the authors are all PhD holders and that’s to say; “they have attained the highest college/university degree” on the subject matter and they are ‘academically’ on top on ‘their respective fields’ in the world (presumably). I have got nothing to doubt their characters or intellect. Hitherto, the authors are people with impeccable reputation and so I believe.
Before going a little bit deep into the issue, I can explicitly admit, I’m neither a medical doctor nor a pharmacist and in no-way, my opinions here are about to challenge the authors’ education credentials, intelligence or something similar to that. NO. I’m here to raise an important issue(s) for discussion and by doing so, “we’ll all going to be winners as a country that has citizens that care. Going to the other extreme, what I’m writing here does not necessarily represent thoughts from an ‘egghead’. They are thoughts from a normal countryman who wants to challenge ‘status quo’ and ‘business as usual’ altitude amongst my fellow countrymen/women. I’m a well-wisher of my country (Tanzania). And wait; I can be wrong as well, just like anybody else. So I’m here to be corrected.
Something left me aghast in the report is that it didn’t focus on the clinical finding(s) of the Babu’s patients who had undertaken the drug; instead it justified what’s inside (the contents) of the tree based on previous works done by other people (see the report). And if that is not enough, findings taken from previous works were tested on animal (mouse). I’m not sure if that was an objective of the project.
For instance, on “Antiepileptic activity”, Dr Malebo and Mbwambo concluded that “Carissa edulis (‘magical plant’) has anticonvulsant activity”. Nothing has been done on Babu’s patients to underpin this, instead their conclusion was based on another report produced by Ya’u et al, paper/Journal title; “Anticonvulsant activity of Carissa edulis (Vahl) (Apocynaceae) root bark extract” produced in year 2008. This work was done on mouse and NOT in human beings.
The same could have been argued on “Antidiabetic activity”. Dr Malebo and Mbwambo’s conclusion was based on the work done by EI-Fiky et al., 1996. And again on “Cardiotonic activity”, the report’s conclusion was based on the work done by Vohra & De, 1963. Again, all these clinical experiments were done on animals and not on human beings.
My conclusion on Dr Malebo and Mbwambo’s report is that, they have based ‘too much’ on laboratory works done on animal (mouse) rather than concentrate the effect of Babu’s ‘cuppa’ to patients who had taken it. In my opinion, the findings are not ‘human-experienced’, instead, are ‘mouse-experienced’. Was it a ‘Literature Review’ of Carissa edulis ?
Then other questions follow! Is the drug a really cure for the claimed diseases? Do we really know the long term effect of this drug on human beings? What’s the role of all our Medical Doctors and Professors etc or put it this way, our ‘intellectuals’? Why such an ‘important report’ has passed without any sort of ‘criticism’, I mean positive criticism? What’s the role of our government when it comes to these types of issues? Does our government/MOHSW think by sitting on the fence and waiting for people from UN/UNESCO to ‘sort this out for us’, is a way of helping those in need (sick and vulnerable)?
I should put all blames to the government/MOHSW. I think here, government/MOHSW is playing a very lethal game with our lifes, the one similar to the ‘famous Russian Roulette’. Come on, don’t hide under the carpet, do something.
Thank you.
Mdau.
