Sunyani, Aug. 7, GNA - Dr. Kofi Bobi Barimah, Acting Dean of Faculty of Public Health and Allied Sciences of Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, has appealed to the National Health Insurance Authority to include the essential herbal medicines in the National Health Insurance Scheme as indicated in the scheme's Act. He said this would help pharmacies to avoid the sale of fake or duplicated herbal medicines to members of the general public. Dr Barimah also appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to ensure an active collaboration between orthodox and traditional medicine practitioners and the enforcement of the standards and code of ethics of the profession by the Traditional Medicine Practice Council.

He was delivering an address at the close of a two-day national consultative forum that sought stakeholders' advice and expertise on traditional health practice, the health delivery system and practices in the country. It was under the theme, "Traditional Medicine in Ghana: Practice, Preference and Problems". Dr Barimah called on the government to ensure that the cost of testing the usefulness and efficacy of herbal medicines at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine is affordable to practitioners of traditional medicine. He called for a system in research and educational institutions to ensure that research findings are made known to all traditional medicine practitioners in a timely manner through periodic briefings and workshops.

Dr. Barimah stressed the need for the establishment of four satellite centres and 10 herbal medicine units across the country to help enhance the operations of practitioners. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Health Services, said government recognised the role of traditional medical practitioners in the health delivery system. He expressed concern about the fragmentation amongst practitioners "as most of them are money-centred and their actions cause embarrassment to the fraternity and bring the name of the profession into disrepute". Dr Tinkorang stressed the need for advocacy to review the practice to check quacks and to vide leadership training for members "to bring to book those charlatans and identify the right practitioners and register them on the health insurance scheme".

He commended the efficacy of traditional medicine despite the availability of orthodox medicine and encouraged dealers in traditional medicine to keep up their activities for effective health care delivery. Yussif Ahmed Adusei, Managing Director, Tawheed Laboratory and Nat Clinic, who presided, urged the government to ensure the inauguration of the Traditional Medicine Council to enable the council to regulate the activities of practitioners and maintain standards. The forum was organised by BUSAC Fund in collaboration with Centre for the Empowerment of the Vulnerable and the Catholic University College of Ghana. 07 Aug 08