Torgbuiga Yaka IV, Registrar, Traditional Medicine Practice Council, has called for the protection of the sanctity of herbal medicine because it is a national heritage.

“A few bad nuts are destroying the image of herbal medicine and it is our collective responsibility to bring to book those who are just selling anything as we empower those who are yet to subject their medicine to scientific tests to do so. Let’s improve upon it because this has sustained us through the generations,’ he said.

Speaking on the topic, ”Mainstreaming herbal medicine in Ghana: the critical issues” on the occasion of the first founder’s day of Aponkye Memorial Clinic in Tema, he said although governments have in one way or the other recognized the contribution of herbal medicine in healthcare delivery, a lot needed to be done.

According to him, if the mainstreaming of herbal medicine becomes successful, “It will be an official offer by way of public recognition of alternative care modalities.

“An official opportunity for Ghanaians to at any point in time choose one form of healthcare provision from two alternatives, possibly under one official roof or in one public health facility,” he added

He said 15 health facilities, including the LEKMA hospital in Teshie, are piloting the mainstreaming agenda where both herbal and orthodox medicines would be under one planning coordination and control.

Torgbuiga Yaka IV called for the official and direct recognition of private herbal medicine entities, where government workers treated under their roofs would have their bills paid for and where there could be cross referrals between orthodox and herbal medicine facilities.

Aponkye Memorial Clinic was established by Nana Kojo Ntina in Tema in 1970 with three assistants. It now has a forty-three bed capacity ward and staff strength of thirty.