Even people with deep Christian convictions often seek intervention from traditional healers where there seems to be no hope in conventional medical help.

 

“Habitual medicine works” Ms Clare Rose Akello, a former finance controller at Sacred Heart SS in Gulu and a staunch Catholic remembers life under the bondage of an evil co wife.

 

“One day, I greeting her but she kept quiet and I knew something was wrong; as I walked around my compound, something pricked my foot like a thorn,” she says.

 

Akello believes that it was spell which her co-wife had put in her compound to kill her, “it happened just a few days of being promoted to finance controller of Sacred Heart SS.”

 

A week later, Akello says she could not walk nor sleep in comfort until she was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor for check-up.

 

“It was like a needle pricked that went right into my blood stream, followed by excruciating pain and itching, and then limb paralysis” she says.

 

The hospital doctors then diagnosed her with Cellulitis, a bacterial infection.

 

She said that while in the hospital, she could see “a growth that looked like a small tree” on her swollen leg and it constantly released yellowish fluids for three days.

 

When her condition persisted, she was referred to Mulago Hospital, but because she could not afford the cost, she was turned away. 

 

“I decided to pray for my life that God should safe me, I invoked Saints Jildo Irwa and Daudi Okello, in the hoped that they will intercede in my recovery,” she adds.

 

Jildo Irwa and Daudi Okello are both Saints in the Catholic faith who hailed from Paimol in Kitgum district and were killed for their participation in the church in 1910.

 

Akello never thought she could ever find herself seeking intervention from a traditional healer; but it was the only alternative left because all had failed.

 

“Never, never in my life did I think I would seek this kind of help, may be God tested me,” Akello said.

 

Her relatives who lived in Patongo in Agago district convinced her that she would die if she didn’t seek help from one Bruno Okullu, a powerful traditional healer in the area.

 

Okullu is a well known and famous traditional healer in Patongo who is always consulted on a number of issues by many people in the area.

 

Persuaded by Ester Okori, her sister inlaw, Akello says that they set off to consult Okullu.

 

“When we got to his home, I thought to myself, he is a witchdoctor, suddenly, he replied ‘woman I’m not a witchdoctor’,” Akello recalls.

 

“Okullu massaged my limbs and told me that he had felt a kind of power descending on him and that there was a problem, someone wanted to kill me, she added.

 

By this time, Akello had endured pain for over three years. Okullu treated a variety of infectious diseases such as cancer, syphilis, sterility, epilepsy, gonorrhea among others especially those in chronic situations and could not seek help from the hospitals.

 

“He offered me a small piece of root to chew, it was bitter and it chocked me forcing me to spew out yellowish vomit,” Akello says.

 

Akello says that she had lost hope in devine intervention and she was filled with anger towards her co-wife who she believed had done this to her.

 

“If you kill, the person will not realize the mistakes, you will only carry more burden of guilt and evil,” Akello’s traditional healer told her.

 

Understanding Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that can develop through cracks or breaks in the surface of the skin. Strep (Streptococcus) and staph (Staphylococcus) bacteria are the common causes of this disease.

 

A private surgical medical officer in Gulu Dr Alice Katerega says the disease is caused by deadly bacteria infection of the underlying skin scientifically known as dermis.

 

She said there are numbers of Cellulitis such as Staph which are triggered by Staphycocceus Aureus and usually affects localized areas of the skin such as abscesses and open wounds.

 

 “It’s important to note that the difference between Cellulitis and other diseases is that it does not produce pus,” Katerega said.

 

Strep Cellulitis is triggered by Streptococcus pyogenes which usually affects the skin and can spread rapidly due to bacterial ability to damage cell structures that normally limits inflammatory reactions.

 

Meanwhile Staphylococcus related Cellulitis are resistant to common Cellulitis treatments. This condition shows symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, sin warmth, fever and the appearance of small red spots or blisters and chills.

 

Cellulite occurs when fat cells enlarge and push against the skin. This creates lumps and dimples to the surface of the skin. Other times, cellulite forms because of poor circulation related to lack of exercise, excess fat or fluid retention.

 

“Cellulitis is common due to snake bites and human bites which open way for bacteria, and on a weekly basis we register at least 15,” she said.

 

“In severe cases, methicilin staph Aureus (MRSA), ceftiaxone and vancomycin anti-biotic dozes are administered before a patient can be discharge from hospital,” added Dr Katerega.

 

Asked why a patient may be referred to another hospital, Dr katerega said that in cases such as that of Akello the condition could have been due to advanced cancer or diseases of the born.

 

Akello was referred to Mulago from St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in 2003 but she failed to realise treatment costs and so was never treated at all.  Mulago always want payment in advance before treatment can be administered.

 

Preventive measures against Cellulitis

Dr Katerega says that people should protect cuts and wounds by keeping them clean and covered and seek medical intervention at an early stage of Cellulitis is suspected.