Pass traditional, alternative medicine bill into law

June 28, 2019

Benjamin Xornam Glover

Advocates of traditional and alternative medicine have urged the parliament to
pass the traditional and alternative bill into law, to regulate the practice.
According to them, the passage of the bill will help practitioners and also rescue
the sector from quacks.
The call was made during the maiden Africa Traditional & Alternative Medicine
Conference held at the Dr. Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine at Ashaiman in
the Greater Accra Region.
The conference attracted participants including botanists, Medical Doctors,
alternative and natural medicine practitioners, Acupuncturists, scientists in the
field of Natural and Traditional Medicine, Phytomedicine, Ayurveda Practitioners,
Pharmacognosists, Naturopathic Doctors.
The theme for the conference was “Integrative Approach to Healthcare ".
Convener of the conference Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu,in his welcoming
address said the passage of the bill into law will lead to an enormous bank of
herbal remedies that can promote traditional medicine in the management of
various ailments in the country.
EVOLUTION
Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, who is also the President of the Nyarkotey College
of Holistic Medicine, said following the evolution of medicine, no individual holds
monopoly on treatment; hence it was only the patient, who is the captain of the
ship and not the physician who must be allowed in making their own informed
decisions on treatment that best suits him or her.
“Providing an alternative way to help patients and nothing else. This should not
create acrimony or enmity between Allopathic, Traditional and Alternative
Medicine Practitioners.“ he said
He said the World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that 80 percent
of the emerging world’s population relies on traditional medicine for therapy as
against 20 per cent who visit mainstream facilities.
He said it was therefore time to concentrate and encourage the establishment of
a regulatory body for practitioners to make the practice more evidence- based.
“Alternative medicine according to recent research is expected to generate
revenue of $ 210.18 billion by 2026. So Let us raise little David high enough to
challenge Goliath, challenge the system and challenge the status quo. The cure
for healthy living is not a luxury, it is a human need. No man should use this need

to profit for their personal gains. Something is wrong when we let people die for
money.” He said

Advocacy
The Member of Parliament for Shai Osudoku, Mrs Linda Akweley Ocloo, who
was the guest of honour, said Ghana has a great potential as far a traditional and
alternative medicine was concerned.
She urged the media to promote and encouraged people to integrate traditional
medical practices in their health system.
Mrs. Ocloo said there was the need for a concerted action and cooperation by
government through stakeholders and government to ensure proper use of
traditional medicine as it is an important component contributing to the health of
all people adding that as a MP, she will push for the passage of the Traditional
and Alternative Medicine Bill to give the practitioners and users the needed room
to operate.

Potential
The Municipal Chief Executive for Ashaiman, Mr Albert Boakye Okyere said the
use of traditional medicine as fundamental component of the African traditional
healthcare system is perhaps the oldest and readily available remedy for most
people.
He said considering the poverty levels, it will be prudent to promote and regulate
the sector to enable more people afford health resource available to the local
community.
Executive Director Hemp Association of Ghana, Nana Kweku Agyemang
considers the health benefit of cannabis and adopt it as a form of alternative
medicine because it cures cancer, dementia, and glaucoma among other
ailments.
He called on nation to shrug off the yoke of misconceptions surrounding the use
of cannabis and rather promote the use of medical cannabis, which he said is
much more safer and beneficial health wise.
“Medicine should not be viewed through the eyes of the west. We in Ghana and
Africa have what it takes to relief every pain but we are not putting the premium
that we should place on our own herbs and plants. What we are doing is looking
more to the west” he said