Traditional Healer Offended and Fighting Back

Written by Charlina Tone and Astrid Sesega
Monday, 01 October 2007
A traditional healer, has objected strongly to claims that traditional healing is causing unnecessary deaths and amputations of body parts for patients turning up treatment in the hospitals. Ms. Sasa Faletoi of Vailoa village, rubbished recent claims by the Head of the Tupua Tamase Meaole Medical Unit, Lemalu Dr. Limbo Fiu’s, as unfair generalisation. “I have not had one patient who died because of my healing and I am very angry at what Dr. Limbo said,” she complained to Newsline. Faletoi is willing to accept that other healers may be responsible but not herself personally. She accepted as common practice for patients to move between traditional healers in search of cures and by the time they come to her, the situation may already be terminal. According the Faletoi the Tupua Tamasese Hospital has been asking her to come and work there for some time now. However, she does not want to work at the hospital because she claims that her services are free and does not want her patients to have to pay for her. “I love the people and my mother always encouraged me to help them and to never ask for anything in return. “If they want to pay me or give me something as a token of their appreciation I accept it, if not then I do not ask for anything.” Faletoi however carries a pass that allows her into any area of the hospital including the Intensive Care Unit where only doctors and immediate family member are allowed inside. She says, that quite often she is requested to go to the hospital and help some of the patients. “I have been to see patients in Acute Seven and Eight many times, I have even healed a few of the doctors and staff nurses illnesses.” She is reluctant to work at the hospital because doctors will get the ingredients for her medicine and curing potions confused. She believes, if she told the doctors what plants she used for her potions the doctors would write down the names but have no idea which plants she was talking about. Many of her plants are very rare and not a lot of Samoan’s know of them or where they can be found. She added that she has found a plant that cures cancer however; she will not share them for the same reasons. She is willing to her healing potions with the hospital if people actually knew what plants she was talking about. As well as not wanting to work with the hospital she also said she would never work with other traditional healers. She is concerned that they will confuse her methods of healing and end up causing more harm than good. She believes her way of healing cannot be passed on to other families it can only be passed down her family line, which is another reason why the secrets must be passed down to her children or die with her. Faletoi operates at her home at Vailoa and many people seek her help everyday. The Healer has been healing for seventeen years now after her mother passed down her secrets, which she will in turn pass down to one of her daughters however if her daughters do not want to know the secrets, her potions will die with her. Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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