Liberia: Meet Ganta’s Modern Herbalists

The Center for Medical Herbs Services, located in Ganta City, Nimba County, says it is able to treat some of the most serious health conditions affecting Liberian society, including mental illness and drug addiction. The center prides itself on its modern, systematic approach to herbal medicine, while tapping on western diagnostic methods where necessary.

According to the chief Herbalist, Madison K. Mangblin the center addresses health issues with 98% herbal treatment, while the 2% is medical.

He explained that if someone is brought to their center and the person is found to be dehydrated, they administer drips to rehydrate the patient before starting the herbal treatment.

Mr. Mangblin said they treat those with mental problems and those who are also suffering from the effects of narcotic drugs.

“Last year, we treated about 7 drug victims, and it takes us about four to five months to treat those with stroke,” he said.

“Most of the drug victims were brought in very dangerous conditions, but we managed to treat them and they were reunited with their families,” he said. 

According to Mr. Madison Mangblin, both his parents were herbalists. He said at age 12, he began practicing or learning and when he was mature, after the EBOLA epidemic.

Madison was opportune to travel to China, where he received a certificate of completion from a seminar on traditional Chinese Medicine for developing countries, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by Xyuan Hospital of Chinese Medical Sciences from May 26 – June 15, 2016 in Beijing.

In 2019, he traveled again to China, where he underwent further training for two months on ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ at the same hospital.

“We are Working in line with the Ministry of Health, Curative Department, responsible for Complimentary Health,” said Mangblin.

He explained that 80% of their examinations and diagnoses are physical, where they looked at signs and symptoms of the disease on the patient. However, in the case they do not understand the signs and symptoms, they then refer the patient to a medical center for medical examination and then the patient can return for herbal treatment.

“We can also check or ask for the health history of the patient, in terms of where they have been visiting and how long they have suffered from the illness. Sometimes we want to know whether it is genetic or inherited,” he said.

According to him, in the case of mental illness, there are signs and symptoms from the patient, like odor from the mouth, or dots under the feet or on in the palm. If there is no sign of such, then they can apply a herb called ‘Labie’.

He said the herb ‘Labie’ will determine whether the person was bewitched or not and it will take 1 to 45 minutes for the Labie to react. If it doesn’t react then they will go ahead with treatment for mental health.

He also said that malaria, piles and typhoid are very common among the diseases they treat because, where they go to collect the herbs, they don’t carry nets or take malaria injections, but they hardly contract any of the illnesses.

“We treat malaria, fibroids, infections, and  also cure diabetes as well as hepatitis ‘B’ and ‘C’,” he said.

“Diabetes is not a life time illness as described by many medical practitioners, it takes us about four months to treat the patient,” he said.

“We also incorporated other herbalists to help us manage the clinic,” he said.

When the Daily Observer visited the local treatment center, where there were about 18  patients admitted. 

Shelton, 36, a drug addict, got treated at the center within two weeks after he had suffered for several months from drug abuse.

Shelton, a petty trader, selling medical drugs, told the Daily Observer that he got addicted to narcotics when some friends fooled him to take ‘Kush’.

He said the controlled substance had such an effect on him that he became violent and eventually went on a rampage. 

He was taken to the herbalist center by his brother, with sores all on his body from having been tied up and beaten. He finally got treated and is reunited with his family of five, including his wife.

Among the patients was a Liberian lady who was said to have been suffering from a mental disorder for four years.

This lady was living in Belgium and unfortunately contracted the mental problem and was brought to Liberia by her husband.

She was taken to many herbalists before she was taken to the herbal clinic, where she is said to be responding positively. 

Hawa Doaunah, the sister of the lady from Belgium said that her sister’s condition was very bad when they arrived at the center, but said she was gradually responding to treatment.

“When she was brought from Belgium, she used to do things out of her way, taking off her clothes and jumping in the street, fighting people, laughing unnecessarily and even setting her belongings ablaze,” she said.

Hawa explained her sister’s husband brought her to Liberia, deposited her at Hawa’s and left. The family sought many witch doctors for treatment to no avail, before finally coming to the Medical Herbal Services Center. 

At the time of this reporter’s visit, the lady had spent about five days at the center, according to the sister.

“What she does now is crying and wanting to go back to the country where she was sent from. She has been inquiring how she got here,” she said.

Helena Cooper, a younger patient, told the Daily Observer she had been suffering from elephantiasis, commonly known as ‘Gowah’ and taken to the herbal center, but said she was recovering faster.

Benjamin K. Zahn, one of the senior herbalists, said he studied at the Anamed international, SCHFWEIDE -77.D-71364, Winneden, Germany, where he received a ‘Certificate in Nature Medicinal plants’ in 2009.

He explained the old way of using herbs, where herbs are given without doses is now being improved, adding any treatment given can be done by doses, considering ages and the weight of the patient.

“We go deep in the rain forest to harvest our herbs, because the trees in the rainforest, where no farming has taken place, have good medicinal value,” he said.

However, the both specialized herbalists are appealing to the government and well wishers to assist with construction of a bigger facility to host their patients, as well as logistics.

“We go far places to harvest our herbs, using commercial motorbikes, so we need vehicles or logistics to enhance our efforts in providing treatment to our people,” said Madison Mangblin.