Kumasi, March 22, GNA - A renowned herbal practitioner in Kumasi, has appealed to the government to regulate and enforce laws on herbal medicine practice to eliminate fake practitioners in order to sustain public confidence.

Mallam Zack, a well known herbal practitioner told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, in Kumasi that, herbal medicine could play an effective role in the health care delivery system if government commits itself fully to the practice.

He said this could be done by taking stringent measures to deal with quacks, who prepare dangerous concoctions, not only to dupe, but endanger the health of the unsuspecting public.

He some herbalists falsely claim to treat all kinds of ailments and in the process defraud people.

"This attitude is not only tarnishing the image of all practitioners but also eroding the confidence people have in herbal medicine", he said. The government should therefore come in and enforce rules and regulations to control the situation in order to win back public confidence= , since that is the only way to make herbal medicine play its expected role i= n the health care delivery system. Mallam Zack also cautioned Ghanaians to be wary of such charlatans and not succumb to their whims and caprices, especially those who claim to have cure for all diseases including HIV/AIDS. He said some herbal products are very efficacious in the treatment of diseases and advised Ghanaians to identify genuine practitioners and patronize their drugs.