Dr Ochidi Ihemeje, alias Dr Ochidicare, is a traditional African medicine practitioner, and chief executive officer of Africa Independent Healthcare Implementation and Development Limited. He is also the founder of ‘Center for Creative African Medicine Industry’ and First International African Medicine Specialist Center for Ulcer, Digestive Disorders and Longevity. In this interview, Ihemeje, speaks on the potential of Africa traditional medicine, his ulcer medicine discovery and efforts to patent it, as well as ways to unlock challenges bedeviling the practice among others.
What is African traditional medicine?
In my view, African traditional medicine is Africa’s cultural way of administering triple healthcare for body, soul and spirit, using herbs and roots that can be further developed scientifically to benefit other races.
What is your assessment of the environment for traditional medicine practitioners and products in the country?
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For now, there is little or no enabling environment for African traditional medicine because the main challenge we have is over-dependence on foreign drugs and the jettisoning of our own drugs. This is evident in the rising wave of medical tourism abroad by Africans even when we have solutions here in Africa.
What do you think can be done to give traditional medicine its pride of place in Nigeria?
I recommended it in the publications I authored and in my talks.
What can be done is to establish a ‘Creative African Medicine Industry similar to the creative music and movie industry.
The creative African medicine industry will enable Africans to objectively patent the discoveries of African local medicine men and women who we have allowed to be dying with their knowledge hitherto.
It is a means of tapping into the creative talents of medicine of our youths and it will provide jobs just as the movie and music is doing. There is also a need for funding to encourage African traditional medicine.
Can you briefly tell us about your organization?
The sole mission of my company, Africa Independent Healthcare Implementation and Development Limited with the trademark Dr. Ochidicare, is to provide alternative African medicines that can reduce the rising wave of diseases both local and foreign, reduce unexpected deaths and reverse medical tourism abroad by Africans.
It is also the ‘Center for Creative African Medicine Industry,’ which houses or plays host to its component project: First International African Medicine Specialist Center for Ulcer, digestive disorders and Longevity.
My Aim is to promote African medicine healthcare heritage.
I specialise in the effective and once and for all treatment solution to ulcer and digestive disorders.
I have also discovered the root cause of illnesses and health complications which I believe can be the long sought after panacea for the reversal of medical tourism abroad by Africans.
My clinical research and discovery are recorded in a book form I authored and published on Amazon titled ‘Introduction to Intuitive African Medicine’.
It is my vision and desire to reduce to the barest minimum unexpected deaths due to illnesses that defy prescription drugs and expensive diagnostics under which many suffer. Sometimes many of us while still trying to complete their volume of diagnostics die on the way.
In what ways have you been providing solutions for ulcer?
It is by declaring ulcer an emergency. Because 10/10 of those bedridden at hospitals or who throng hospitals over deadly illnesses all of them began with ulcer but they are treated for the outcomes of the ulcer instead of addressing the ulcer.
I have specific lasting material herbal integrated solutions to ulcers with verifiable evidence of those who have benefitted from my work.
Ulcer is the so-called brief illnesses that we attribute most deaths to. I have developed an herbal medicine for ulcers and digestive disorders.
I have been using it to help many people, especially those who don’t have the money to pay for the cost of their chronic ulcer treatment.
I wish to consolidate my revolutionary discovery using African medicine to effectively remedy ulcers and by extension reduce the danger posed by its numerous health complications by recommending my specialization in the effective once and for all treatment of ulcers and digestive disorders as a lasting panacea to medical tourism.
It is my vision to partner with the investment world to patent the ulcer medicine I have discovered. I also intend to reverse medical tourism abroad by Africans for ulcer treatment and other diseases along with its attendant economic tolls on the African continent.
