Kumasi, March 24, GNA - Work on the ultra-modern processing centre for members of Ashanti Regional Branch of Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers (GNATH) being constructed at Abuakwa near Kumasi is near completion. The project estimated at several thousands of Ghana cedis is being funded by the association in collaboration with Speed Ghana, an NGO. Briefing Ghana News Agency on the project in Kumasi on Tuesday, Mr Kwame Asante-Boakye, Kumasi Metropolitan Chairman of the association, said when completed the centre would help train members on good herbal practices.

He said the centre would train traditional healers to upgrade their knowledge in marketing, labelling and packaging of their products. Mr Asante-Boakye said the association had taken delivery of some equipment from India to enhance their work in addition to some machines used in producing tablets and capsules to add value to their products. He said herbal medicine was useful in treating some complicated diseases which orthodox medicine could not treat. Mr Asante-Boakye pointed out that a team of herbal medicine experts from the Netherlands would visit Ghana this year to train members of the association on modern herbal preparation, diagnosis and treatment. He said plans were far advanced to engage technocrats from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in the training of traditional healers to ensure they worked within the code of ethics of herbal medicine practice.

Mr Asante-Boakye appealed to financial institutions and corporate bodies to assist the association to complete the project. 24 March 09