There is a shortage of Western-trained health care personnel in state hospitals and clinics in South Africa. However, traditional healers are in abundance in both the urban and rural areas of South Africa. Some health care interest groups and individual researchers have called for integration of traditional healing and Western biomedicine in South Africa. The South African government seems to support the idea of integrating the two health care systems. The current paper offers a critical discussion of this issue. The paper discusses pertinent issues such as the demand for traditional healing, possible integration of traditional healing and Western healing as well as anticipated hindrances to integration of traditional healing and Western healing. Finally, the paper discusses dilemmas posed by non-integration of traditional healing and Western healing. In conclusion, the potential to integrate the two health care systems remains a complex possibility which might take years to achieve. (author abstract)
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