HOMEOPATHIC, HERBAL CLINIC OPENED IN TEMA (PAGE 18, NOV 9, 2010)

A New homeopathic facility, Gilead Homeopathic and Herbal Clinic, has been opened in Tema.
Addressing the ceremony, a Registrar of the Traditional and Herbal Medicine Practice Council at the Ministry of Health (MoH), Togbui Hlortsi Akakpo, stressed the need for herbal practitioners to register with the Council and be certified by the MoH.
He said those who failed to do so would be considered to be operating illegally.
Togbui Akakpo also said it was important to test the potency of their herbal medicine “to build the confidence of the people in using such medicine.”
He explained that according to records from the MoH, seven out of every 10 persons sought alternative health care such as herbal medicine and pointed out that the government was putting in place structures and the necessary support to encourage the practice of alternative medicine .
He cautioned the management of such facilities to engage only qualified people to render quality service to their clients and not to just create employment.
Togbui Akakpo appealed to all herbal medicine practitioners to insist on rendering quality and standard service to the public, adding that “the MoH would be ready to assist you to address the challenges you encounter in your operations as herbal practitioners”.
The Executive Director of the Clinic, Rev. Dr Eric Tetteh, said the facility had a staff of 14 trained herbalists and nurses.
He said it rendered diagnostic and massaging services, as well as consulting and dispensary, and had out-patients and counselling departments.
Rev Dr Tetteh disclosed that the clinic treated infertility in men and women, fibroid, cardiovascular diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, stroke, skin diseases and sexual weakness among others.
The President of the Full Gospel Church International, Rt. Revd Samuel Mensah, commended the management of the clinic and urged them to work hard to satisfy the needs of the people.
He said the opening of the clinic had come at a time when Ghanaians needed to step up efforts to promote access to health care.
Rt. Revd Mensah urged them to counsel people to change from their negative behaviour and appealed to people in the medical field to desist from travelling abroad for greener pastures and rather help build the nation.
He urged the management to ensure that the staff at the clinic were adequately trained.
The clinic was opened to the public for free screening for various ailments.