Editor—Ring and Brown mentioned that indigenous practitioners are being trained in Western methods.1 Although this may be broadly true, many members of staff in remote health services in Australia's indigenous communities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and Nungkaris (witch doctors), etc) are trained in and practise traditional medicine.
I recall an incident in a community in Australia's Northern Territory, where I was a remote area nurse a long time ago. A young woman had a fit, and all the paraldehyde and other Western intervention we tried would not stop it. In came the Nungkari and worked his magic, and the fit stopped.
In the back room of another clinic was kept a collection of bush medicine that was used regularly. Even the remote area nurse used some of the herbs.
In the Torres Strait one of the Torres Strait Islander health workers spent a lot of money to travel down to Cairns to consult a traditional healer because she knew that Western medicine was not going to help her.
Competing interests: None declared.
References
- 1.Ring I, Brown N. The health status of indigenous peoples and others. BMJ 2003;327: 404-5. (23 August.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]