Chipangali District Epidemic Preparedness multi-sectoral team has directed a man of Mgubudu trading in Chipangali to immediately stop extracting people’s teeth using traditional methods.
According to an order of closure dated 16th June, 2022, which was served on him, the business which was being conducted by Kenneth Banda, was illegal because it was against the Public Health Act Cap 295 of the laws of Zambia.
Chipangali Town Council Health Inspector, Dimus Chipalala, said Mr. Banda did not have any legal document that allowed him to operate a teeth extraction clinic.
Mr. Chipalala noted that teeth extraction needed to be done by qualified personnel to avoid issues of complications.
“According to the Public Health Act Cap 295 of the laws of Zambia, it is a very big offence for one to be conducting a teeth extraction business without papers,‘’ he said.
During an epidemic preparedness meeting held on Monday this week, it was reported that Chipata Central Hospital complained that it had received a lot of people with complications after they were attended to by the traditional teeth extractor at Mgubudu trading area in Chipangali.
But Mr. Banda said he had been doing his business since 1978 and had helped a lot of people, saying, all the people he extracted teeth from, not even one had gone back to him with complications.
He said he had gone to Chipata Central Hospital to find out how he could be assisted with his business of extracting teeth and he was told that only those that had done a course of the job he was doing were the only ones who could be assisted.
“I have tried to seek guidance from qualified people by telling them that I extract teeth but I don’t have papers. I wanted them to help me how I can go about my business so that government can recognize me but nothing fruitful has come out,’’ Mr. Banda said.
Meanwhile, some residents said the man was just using some grass which he rolled round a tooth whilst the patient was told to hold a certain root as the process was going on.
Rueben Ngoma, who was one of those that had been attended to before by Mr. Banda, said the procedure of extracting teeth was not even painful, adding that, one even got surprised when he was told that the tooth had been extracted.
“This man has really helped a lot of people with his traditional way of extracting teeth. We don’t know how government can help him so that he is recognized,’’ Mr. Ngoma said.
