Members of the Ghana Association of Medical Herbalists (GAMH) have called on the government to establish herbal medicine manufacturing factories in each of the 16 regions of the country to ensure good manufacturing practices, especially, for the many practitioners who cannot afford a standard privately-owned manufacturing unit.

The herbalists said the factories, akin to the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Akuapem Mampong, “will create a more congenial environment for our people to access full professional herbal medical care.”

A New Year’s statement signed by the President of the Association, Mr Anthony Mensah, on 2 January 2020, said Ghana’s herbal medicine industry is one with obvious potential to turn the fortunes of the country around and make Ghana a beacon of hope for the world in the area of health.

The association said Ghana should, in the very near future, be looking at establishing a fully-fledged government herbal hospital to be superintended by qualified medical herbalists.

According to the association, Ghana is blessed with very potent and efficacious herbs.

“We have, over the years, developed our herbal medicine industry and are recognised across the globe as the trailblazers of modern African Traditional Medicine (ATM). Our country has chalked many feats, including training of herbal doctors (medical herbalists) and successfully integrating herbal medicine services into the mainstream healthcare delivery system in government hospitals in all regions of the country… We encourage all and sundry to patronise herbal medicines but to do so from credible, registered professionals,” the statement said.