I’m not usually a fan of reality TV, especially when depicting indigenous people, and I have ranted about it before.

Channel 4’s Medicine Men Go Wild - I can’t tell you enough how the title irked me and what I think the insinuations are in this context, but that’s worthy of a separate post – included an episode where the British twin doctors go off to live with the Bayaka community in the lush, dense tropical forests of Congo. [On a quick sidenote: there is a lot of confusion with the similar Anglicised representations of distinct communities in this region and so I hope I got it right.] 

 The allopathic / western medicine-trained doctors helplessly watched as an unwell baby was treated by the local nganga (traditional doctor / healer) with no apparent lessening of his symptoms after 2 days. I have to give them credit for being fully conscious about the implications of their intervention, bearing in mind that they were passer-byers and that it would be a very delicate situation, not only in terms of how they would communicate their offer to help, but also in the manner in which they would execute it. To my approval, they resolved to ensure that they involved the nganga as the real implication with damaging consequences in the long term was to undermine the local doctor who had attended to the community and been responsible for their health before they came along with their medicine bags, and he would need to continue to do so after their departure. Otherwise in effect they would be causing more harm than good – in violation of the Hippocratic oath.

Upon examining the baby, and diagnosing malaria, their hands-on involvement enabled them to swiftly appreciate and acknowledge the challenges of being a doctor in that environment. The same challenges that the nganga was constantly faced with and tirelessly overcame. This includes the inventive ways he had used to administer medication to the baby as the western doctors watched. And although the medicine bags they had brought with them contained immaculate, sterile packs of injections and other worthy items in their kit, admittedly, their resources and therefore their input was not sustainable and would have rendered them hopeless soon enough. These doctors evidently left with genuine respect for the nganga and his skills. It is rather refreshing to see a balanced observation of traditional doctors as opposed to the cynicism that is usually depicted, alongside the acknowledgment that many commonly prescribed drugs come from plants.

For a clip, go here.