1. An interview with Mr Rene, a traditional medical practitioner In Ekoi psychiatrist clinic, Quarter
Rubber, Mutengene.
The information provided is based on face to face interview with Mr Rene.
1. INTRODUCTION
Traditional medical traditional practitioners are found all over Africa continent. In Cameroon for
instance, they are found not just at the local communities, but in urban settings as well. The
area that interest me most is Mutengene
2. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF INFORMANT
Name: RENE
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Marital status: married
Level of Education: Ordinary Level

2. 3. PROFILE
Mr RENE lives in Mutengene, Fako division, South West Region, Cameroon. From what I
gathered from him through face to face interview, he has been in to the field for 25years now.
He began as traditional healer since when he was age ten. He works at EKOI PSYCHIATRIST
CLINIC based at Quarter Rubber in Mutengene, South West Region of Cameroon. The clinic is
considered as one of the most popular psychiatrist clinic in Mutengene.
4. THE TYPE OF PATIENTS HE TREATS
He treats patients with mental distortion, stomach ulcer, Pile, fungi infections leg ulcer and
cases of poison. From what I got from him, I was made to understand that he receives patients
not just around Mutengene, but also from all part of Cameroon and at international level.
5. SOURCES OF MEDICINE
He gets his medicine from the bushes around his vicinity, from the CDC rubber plantation, and
from Mount Fako. These medicines are herbs, shrubs and tree leaves from these forest.
6. MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS
He quarantines the patients based on their illnesses. Those with mental cases have their own
room same with the other cases.

3. 7. METHOD OF TREATMENT
Treatment is based on concoction of the leaves gotten from the sources mentioned above. It is
believed that the dosage given to each patient is determined greatly by the supernatural force
who gives him instruction on what amount to give, at what time and so on.
8. PATIENT RESPOND TO TREATMENT
The respond of patient to treating is guaranteed provided he keep taking his medication
regularly and also the care given too such patient. If all these are met, A patient with severe
case may only take few months to recover fully. The clinic also has a follow up system through
individual record card of every patient.
ACCOMODATION CAPACITY OF THE CLINIC
Based on the statistic record card from last year till day the clinic had been able to
accommodate over three hundred patient comfortably.
9. SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD
Looking at the services offered by this traditional healer one would have espected him to
charge large sum of money. This is not the case as he made me to understand that there are a
lot of rules binding this profession as supernatural laws regulate what the patient has to pay as
fee for treatment to commence. ‘ I can only take what the gods ask me to take’ he pointed out.
If this laws are broken, it is believed that that the treatment will not be a success. Again he

4. made me to understand that any extra amount of money receive from patient after treatment
could be as a free will donation not by force. Through this he gets his livelihood.
10. DIFFICULTIES
There can be no success without difficulties. Here he faces challenges like patients with serious
mental problem. Most often they are very violent and that poses a serious problem of drugs
administration. Some patients may not take their treatment regularly this is a problem. Some
family members may not be there to give intensive care to the patient like helping in wasting
their clothes and so on.

5. CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF INFORMANT
3. PROFILETHE TYPE OF PATIENTS HE TREATS
4. SOURCES OF MEDICINE
5. MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS
6. METHOD OF TREATMENT
7. PATIENT RESPOND TO TREATMENT
8. ACCOMODATION CAPACITY OF THE CLINIC
9. SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD
10. DIFFICULTIES

6. UNIVERSITY OF BUEA
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
COURSE TITLE: Ethno-medicine and Anthropology
COURSE CODE: ANT615
Presented By
EBAI WILLIAM EGBE
(SM14P125)
Course Instructor: Dr AKOKO ROBERT
FEBUARY 2015
A TRADITIONAL MEDICAL PRACTIONER, HIS
THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND HOW
HE GOES ABOUT THIS PRACTICE