Govt takes steps to integrate orthodox, herbal medicine

A NATIONAL Herbal Medicine Fair is to be held in Accra within the next few months with the aim of integrating the practice of orthodox and herbal medicine.
Inaugurating the Ghana Health Service Council (GHSC) in Accra on Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, said the move is to cut down on the country’s medical imports and help develop the country’s natural resources.
He said since Ghanaians imported and used Chinese herbal medicine at a cost, the country could improve on what was available locally for the people to patronise.
The 12-member council has Professor Joseph Odai Oliver-Commey as the chairman. Other members are Prof Isabella Quakyi, Prof Rev. Father G. A. Ankrah-Badu, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, Prof Hector Addo, and Prof Jennifer Welbeck.
The rest are Dr Elias Sory, Mrs Helen Mensah, Mrs Levina Owusu, Madam Salimata Abdul-Salam and Rev Richard Kwesi Yeboah.
The members were made to swear the Official Oath and the Oath of Secrecy administered by the health minister in the conference room of the Ministry of Health.
Addressing the council, Dr Yankey urged them to improve on the existing collaborative efforts between the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, to do more in the area of local herbal medicine.
He said with their respective rich experience, mostly in the health sector, each member was expected to support the government’s efforts at improving the health of Ghanaians.
Dr Yankey observed that the council had been reconstituted at a time the health sector was facing a difficult situation and went ahead to mention the presence of the deadly H1N1 influenza in the country, which, he said, needed much attention to prevent its spread.
He, however, gave the assurance that the government had made adequate preparation to contain the spread of the disease and added that funds had been provided to acquire the necessary logistics for both prevention and treatment of the disease.
On the issue of frequent industrial actions by the country’s health workers, the health minister expressed delight that there was some level of understanding at the moment and urged the council to help the sector find lasting solution to the problems.
Speaking on behalf the council members, the Chairman, Prof Oliver-Commey, said they would acquaint themselves with the activities of the health sector to enable them to perform creditably.
He also gave the assurance that the council would collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector to ensure quality health care delivery to Ghanaians.