Suhum, July 12, GNA - The Chairman of the Nankese Area Ghana Psychic and Traditional Healers Association, Baffour Adadey Kwapong, has advised members to guard against negative practices that would tarnish the image of the profession.

He said traditional medicine practitioners played an important role in communities, especially where there are no hospitals and clinics, hence the life of the sick person should be their utmost concern.

Baffour Kwapong gave the advice during the celebration of his 82nd birthday at Nankese on Tuesday which also coincided with his 60 years celebration as a herbal practitioner.

He recalled the olden days where there were only few hospitals and people were using herbs to cure diseases.

He noted that due to love for money some bad elements had entered the profession and were tarnishing its image.

Baffour Kwapong said herbalist must know a lot of herbs, their names, and how to use them as well as plant some of them at their surroundings.

He expressed concern about the unnecessary ritual practices that some herbalists engaged in before attending to a sick person and said they should rather use scientific methods in their practices.

Baffour Kwapong had constructed a five-kilometre road from Nankese Township to Dome at the cost of GH¢5,000 and had acquired six acres of land for the construction of herbal training school.

Opanin Stephen Akrofi, Gyasehene of the town, who chaired the function, commended Baffour Kwapong for being the first person to introduce herbal medicine in the Nankese area.

He said Baffour Kwapong had treated over 10,000 people of different ailments both in and outside the country.

He commended him for returning a brief case containing GH¢3,000 and 20,000 dollars and document left by a sick person in his house after two years in search of the person.