Traditional bone setting discouraged
By Silafaga Lalua
People with bone fractures in Tuvalu are urged to seek medical help before turning to traditional bone setters.
In Tuvalu, whenever people fracture or sprain their limbs they first of all seek the help of traditional bone setters, and then later to medical doctors when they do not get relief.
Silafaga Lalua talked to the doctors and files this report.
Surgeon within Princess Margaret Hospital Dr. Innocencio Oballo explained to Tuvalu news that in most cases when they finally come to the hospital, a lot of damage had been done and it is really hard to reposition their limbs.
He said that doctors have had years of training and education in the field of scientific management of diseases including bone fractures.
Doctors request the public and kindhearted traditional bone setters to seek medical assistance first to avoid unnecessary damages and complications to seemingly simple problems.
A traditional bone setter on the capital Elina Temaolo responded that she had helped people with not only bone fractures but other illnesses as well for over 40 years.
She explained that she never turns away patients who need her help but does send them to the hospital for x-rays, when she has worked on their fractures.
The many years of experience give her the confidence that her traditional healing knowledge will make her patients well again.
She also recognizes that both traditional and medical doctors err in some areas therefore she recommends both to work together because they do need each other to efficiently carry out their common purpose of helping sick people.
Regarding traditional healers who may doubt their capability to heal the patients, Temaolo stated that it is better to hand the patients over to the hospital before touching them.
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