Accra, July 9, GNA - Plans are far advanced to implement the integration of scientific medicinal herbal practice into health care delivery in the country, Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbour said on Friday.

Dr Kunbour announced this in a speech read on his behalf at the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) Day 2010 and launch of Traditional Medicine Documents in Accra.

The documents are Policy and Administrative Guidelines on Complementary Alternative Medicine Practice, Policy on Traditional Medicine Development and Strategy for Final Institutionalisation of Plant Medicine Services, Medical and Herbalism and Complementary Medicine in Ghana.

Celebration of the Day was on the theme: "Promoting Quality Improvement and Rational use of Traditional Medicines," is to review activities of WAHO.

It is expected that when the programme takes of it would contribute to job creation, disease prevention, the well-being of the population and increase access to quality herbal medicine services and product.

Dr Kunbour noted that, while WAHO insists on obedience to regulations, law, administrative guidelines, codes, standards of practice and the patient's right, a medical enterprise is also interested in making discrete announcements about the time its services are opened and services offered.

"New therapies and equipment must also be reviewed before being introduced directly to the public and clients so that comments made by clients would not be used to make advertised claims," he said.

Dr Kunbour called for obedience to sections of the Food and Drugs Boards Law which prohibits advertisement for some listed diseases, which include severe infectious diseases and reproductive health.

Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, Director of Human Resources of the Ministry of Health noted that traditional medicine have been the main source of health care for the vast majority of Ghanaians and people in the sub-region.

He said quality of the workforce represented by traditional medical practitioners had become crucially important resource for the delivery of health care that could not be ignored.

Dr Appiah-Denkyira said WAHO is immensely supporting the health sector, especially the traditional medicine directorate to establish and strengthen its systems as well as help the integration process with minimal challenges.

He pointed out that to address challenges confronting the development of traditional medicine, serious consideration needed to be given to the four main areas namely; policy safety and efficacy: access; rational use: biodiversity, sustainability and intellectual property rights.

Dr Elias Sory, Director General of Ghana Health Service, said traditional medicine had always had scientific evidence but documentation remained a serious challenge.

He noted that the platform created would make it possible for the documentation process.

He said at the appropriate time patients in the various hospitals would have the opportunity to choose traditional or orthodox medicine.