Sokoto Government Clashes with Traditional Healers Over Dangerous Metal Poisoning Treatments

A shocking health crisis has emerged in Sokoto State, where local barbers are reportedly using crude and dangerous traditional methods, including cutting into patients’ stomachs, to treat cases of metal poisoning. The alarming practice has drawn condemnation from health officials, who warn of its deadly consequences.

Sokoto State Commissioner of Health, Faruk Wurno, has issued a strong directive for an immediate halt to the practice, insisting that affected individuals must seek professional medical care instead. Speaking at the presentation of government-supplied drugs for metal poisoning treatment at General Hospital Tureta, Wurno decried the practice as both harmful and life-threatening.

“The practice of making incisions on the stomach of patients suffering from metal poisoning must stop immediately. Instead, those showing symptoms should be rushed to hospitals for proper medical care,” Wurno declared.

Despite the government’s intervention, critics argue that such practices persist due to a failing healthcare system that leaves many citizens reliant on unscientific and often dangerous traditional treatments. While the state has pledged to distribute essential drugs for metal poisoning to general hospitals, concerns remain over whether healthcare access is sufficient to stop desperate patients from turning to risky alternatives.

As the crisis unfolds, questions arise: Are these barbers being held accountable for endangering lives, and is the government doing enough to address the root causes of reliance on unsafe traditional medicine?