Wonder drug gets a clean bill of health
Courtesy | NATION
Mzee Ambilikile Mwasapile pours out his medicinal brew – extracted from the mugariga tree – earlier this year. At the height of his popularity, Babu, as he is more commonly known, attracted thousands of people to his home in Samunge village, Loliondo, and cars formed queues 15km long. These days, Babu receives about 20 carloads a day with barely 100 people taking his concoction.
What you need to know:
- National Museums of Kenya says shrub not poisonous and is in fact used by herbalists to remove bitterness from concoctions
The mugariga concoction used by Rev Mbilikile Masapila to cure a series of ailments in Tanzania is safe, after all.
And Tanzanian authorities have started to coordinate trips to the remote Samunge Village in Loliondo as health experts allayed fears on its side-effects.
Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda directed authorities in Arusha region — Ngorongoro District in particular — to improve and provide infrastructure needed to make Rev Masapila’s “treatment” safer.
In Dar es Salaam, the government said an investigation started earlier this month after the retired pastor intensified his “healing”-cum-prayer activities revealed that the dosage he admits had no adverse impacts.
A statement by the Ministry of Health read by acting director-general of Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority Charys Ugullum said the government, through TFDA, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (Muhas), the Chief Government Chemist, and the Registrar of Local Herbs made several laboratory tests.
And they were content that the ‘single cup of babu’ had no health repercussions.
Still, Ms Ugullum said the government sent its medical officials in Samunge Village and after they talked with the retired pastor “who was very cooperative”, they took the sample of the medicine, which was subjected to laboratory analysis.
“Our first task was to see whether there were negative impacts on users… but we saw nothing as far as the amount he (Rev Masapila) administered is concerned,” Ms Ugullum said.
She, however, said more tests were under way to see if compositions of the wild plant could cure the five chronic diseases the cleric-turned miracle healer claimed.
According to Rev Masapila, the cup of mugariga he administers, in addition to special prayers, was able to cure chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, TB and Aids though there is no scientific proof so far.
NIMR director-general Mwere Malecela said the plant had been widely used by the Maasai, Sonjo, Gogo and the Barbaig, among others, and there was no reported case of negative impact to people.
“We will now make follow-ups among the people who have taken the cup to see if they have been cured,” she said.
Ms Ugullum said of medical tests the beneficiaries of the Loliondo magic, that “so far, more than 200 people have volunteered for the follow up tests”.
Asked whether the plant, which is scientifically called Carissa spinarum can cause problems if given in excess, Dr Malecela said the same could happen even with any scientifically approved medications.
On Tuesday, Mr Pinda told a news conference in Dar es Salaam that the Ngorongoro authorities should immediately start mitigating factors, including building a dispensary, putting up tents, providing first aid and an ambulance, building toilets and repairing the road to the remote village. He also directed that burial spaces be identified.
“We have to help the reverend dispense his cure in a conducive environment, and let people who believe in the cure get it,” said the Premier, adding: “The government will do all it can to avoid a human catastrophe.”
It has since emerged that government officials in seven regions are coordinating efforts to stop the influx of people to the home of a miracle healer.
The measure, announced jointly by the regional authorities and the retired pastor, aims to give room to over 20,000 people stranded in Samunge Village to be cleared.
There were fears that the measure can lead to equally agonising queues on highways to Ngorongoro.
According to district commissioner Elias Wawa Lali, several vehicles heading to Samunge were barred at check-points from proceeding with their journeys. At the Mto-wa-Mbu junction, hundreds of vans from Arusha were stopped.
Mr Wesley Kileo, a tour company official said: “The town is awash with vehicles. We are not sure if they will bring business or just create another long queue.”
Until last weekend, accounts had it that there were 24,000 ailing people and their relatives were stranded in a queue of more than 4,000 vehicles that extended several kilometres.
By Sylivester Ernest, Lucas Liganga (Dar) and Zephania Ubwani (Arusha)
