I don't usually watch Primer Impacto because of the type of focus of its news content but every now and then it catches my attention. It's sensationalized journalism, or 'amarillista' is the term used in Spanish. However, I decided I'd watch it today and one of the stories that was featured was about a Dominican curandero, Rafael Santiago Peralta. He administered a substance (miracle cure) via vaccination to a woman and she died three days later. Apparently, other people in the village Rancho Arriba (San Jos? de Ocoa ) have also had the vaccination of this unknown substance and are seriously ill.
I decided to google the curandero's name and the story about the death of this woman came up in Clave Digital. Primer Impacto just featured it today however this occurred in April of this year. What I find interesting is the action and measures that are taken against 'curanderos' in the DR or anywhere in Latin America since this type of approach to healing a sickness is very common and there are many who strongly believe in the medicine and/or remedies of a curandero. Foreigners may not understand the cultural ramifications here but there are many and some people (locals) only believe in this option to curing illnesses etc.
Here is the story in Clave Digital: Apresan al supuesto ?naturista? cuya vacuna mat? a una mujer :: CLAVE digital
Just to give you an idea of the sensitivity of the definition of curandero here are definitions from two dictionaries:
RAE:
curandero, ra.
1. m. y f. Persona que, sin ser m?dico, ejerce pr?cticas curativas emp?ricas o rituales.
2. m. y f. Persona que ejerce la medicina sin t?tulo oficial.
Word Reference:
curandero,ra- folk healer, witch doctor, quack doctor (pejorative)
In this particular case the curandero was given a jail sentence of three months because he committed a crime but what about the many other deaths or illnesses caused that go unreported and what's the fine line here between beliefs and common sense? Would you allow someone to inject an unknown substance in your body because s/he tells you it's a miracle cure and in this case against cancer, AIDS, and other diseases?
I find the story so depressing because although one may believe in these remedies, one should know to question a substance that's being injected in your body or your children's by someone who is not a qualified doctor. After the death of a person it's obviously too late.
-Marianopolita
Dijo que el curandero de 44 a?os de edad rehus? ofrecer los detalles sobre la sustancia desconocida que administr? a 10 personas de Rancho Arriba. ??l dice que tiene un don de Dios y que Dios le ha dado ese poder para que ?l cure el c?ncer, el Sida y otras enfermedades?, manifest?.
I decided to google the curandero's name and the story about the death of this woman came up in Clave Digital. Primer Impacto just featured it today however this occurred in April of this year. What I find interesting is the action and measures that are taken against 'curanderos' in the DR or anywhere in Latin America since this type of approach to healing a sickness is very common and there are many who strongly believe in the medicine and/or remedies of a curandero. Foreigners may not understand the cultural ramifications here but there are many and some people (locals) only believe in this option to curing illnesses etc.
Here is the story in Clave Digital: Apresan al supuesto ?naturista? cuya vacuna mat? a una mujer :: CLAVE digital
Just to give you an idea of the sensitivity of the definition of curandero here are definitions from two dictionaries:
RAE:
curandero, ra.
1. m. y f. Persona que, sin ser m?dico, ejerce pr?cticas curativas emp?ricas o rituales.
2. m. y f. Persona que ejerce la medicina sin t?tulo oficial.
Word Reference:
curandero,ra- folk healer, witch doctor, quack doctor (pejorative)
In this particular case the curandero was given a jail sentence of three months because he committed a crime but what about the many other deaths or illnesses caused that go unreported and what's the fine line here between beliefs and common sense? Would you allow someone to inject an unknown substance in your body because s/he tells you it's a miracle cure and in this case against cancer, AIDS, and other diseases?
I find the story so depressing because although one may believe in these remedies, one should know to question a substance that's being injected in your body or your children's by someone who is not a qualified doctor. After the death of a person it's obviously too late.
-Marianopolita