Promoting ancient wisdom and the power of nature

The Institute of Traditional Medicine and Community Development (IMTRADEC) of the Bluefields campus held this Monday afternoon, May 25, a natural medicine fair where it promoted the healing and palliative properties of plants in terms of the prevention of viral diseases and the strengthening of the immune system in order to combat coronavirus.

IMTRADEC coordinator Grace Kelly said that "in these times when we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic and that we have the medicinal garden in the institute, which we call live pharmacy, we are taking advantage of sharing with URACCAN workers about the health benefit of plants."

Pre-sale study process

Before offering these medicinal products, the IMTRADEC team carried out a preparation process in terms of studying the benefits offered by some plants as a treatment.

"What we did was review, both in documents and in everyday life, with traditional doctors and thus look at which plants are suitable for those diseases that are closely related to coronavirus," Kelly said.

The coordinator explained that, from IMTRADEC, there is a medicinal garden that offers a variety of natural medicines to treat various diseases. "With the study we did of research in conjunction with traditional doctors, we realized that in our living pharmacy we have plants to heal cough, flu, fever, as well as to treat lung infections and other healing plants to strengthen the body's defense system," she said.

"For all this we choose to make a small fair and share with everyone, not only the medicine, but also the information; it should be mentioned that what is generated economically from the sale is intended for the maintenance of the orchard."

Over the orchard

Teacher Grace specified that in the orchard "we have countless plants, including medicinal and ornamental; ornamentals, it is important to know that these help to have the visit of butterflies and pollination; among the medicinal ones are: rough, lemon zacate, fine oregano, thick oregano, papayas, mint, avocado, likewise tubers and countless plants have been planted that give us many benefits; so we guarantee a tradition of our ancestors and stay close to nature."

Garden maintenance

The maintenance given to the living pharmacy is a joint work by the team and a sage of traditional medicine. Faced with this, the Licda. Ivania Garth, technical assistant at IMTRADEC, explained that "it is important to take care of this pharmacy, in order to offer medicines and other quality food, so we have fenced the place, preventing animals from entering to damage what has been harvested; proper cleaning is also carried out, so we guarantee healthy plants to our population."

"Here works the sage, who supports us with the care and maintenance of the plants in conjunction with the IMTRADEC team; we meet twice a quarter to organize and guarantee the activities to be carried out from the orchard," Licda concluded. Garth.