PHILIPSBURG--St. Lucian herbalist Kailash Leonce says he is "not a quack." The Inspectorate of Health confiscated US $4,000 worth of his herbal medicines and stopped him from holding a lecture in St. Maarten on Monday.
Leonce told The Daily Herald on Thursday that he is a herbal physician who wants to educate the population. Leonce has taken offence to the use of the word quackery in a press release issued by the Inspectorate on Wednesday reporting on the confiscation of his herbal products and the stopping of his lecture. "I am not a quack. I am not a medical doctor because I don't have a licence," he said adding that he is an herbal physician. He said he completed his basic sciences in Antigua in 2005 and he did not obtain a licence to practise medicine because he does not believe in the western or the conventional modalities of medicine.
The Health Inspectorate on Tuesday confiscated 127 bottles of medicinal substances from Leonce who was in St. Maarten on a tourist visa and cancelled a lecture being held at the Philipsburg Cultural and Community Center.
Inspector General Earl Best said in a press release on Wednesday that the 127 bottles of "substances claiming to be beneficial in the treatment of specified diseases" were confiscated.
Leonce said in a telephone interview that he has been coming to St. Maarten for the past year. The first time he came, in September last year to hold a lecture at the WIFOL Building, a police officer visited to stop the lecture because he did not have a permit. He said the officer informed him that he could not charge monies at the door but that he can request donations. He said he was invited to St. Maarten by Conscious Lyrics Foundation official Shujah Reiph at that time.
Leonce said during his latest visit, he had a radio interview on PJD2 about cancer ? which was supposed to have been the subject of his lecture. A medical practitioner had called in on the radio programme and questioned information Leonce was providing. The herbalist said that he had also mentioned on the radio programme that contributions would be accepted.
Leonce said six persons turned up at the Cultural Center to stop his lecture. He said he was told that he had been "disrupting the system" and that he "can't just come to give lectures." He said about 50 persons were in attendance when the lecture was stopped around 7:00pm ? when he was scheduled to speak. He said the lecture was being held in collaboration with a former patient who lives in French St. Martin.
Based on his enquiries he said he was told that if he sent a recording to be aired on radio he would not be violating the law. Leonce says he works extensively with the government of St. Lucia whom he collaborates with to hold a Caribbean Wellness Day.
Leonce said his lectures are not done undercover and his intention is not to "rob" government of any taxes. Leonce said he does not want to violate any laws in St. Maarten. He is willing to work with anyone to adhere to the law. He plans to register a company in St. Maarten and follow the requirements needed in the future such as having his items registered. He said he is "an international man" who will be heading to Anguilla while his associate will be going to Dominica. "I don't have a problem with this."
In its release Inspector General Earl Best said Leonce had violated several laws. He was not a physician and even if he was it is prohibited to provide medical care in St. Maarten without having diplomas checked and being registered. Best said too that it is prohibited to collect money or sell items as a tourist and it is prohibited to sell substances that "claim to have an effect in the treatment of specified diseases without having these checked and registered."
He said the inspectorate is the independent government body that has to ensure that health care being provided to the population complies with legislation and rules set by government in order to ensure a high level of quality and to protect the population against "malpractice and quackery."
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