News

Sports

Business

Entertainment

GhanaWeb TV

Africa

Opinions

Country

PSI on herbal medicine required - Herbalist

Tue, 25 Mar 2003 Source: GNA

An appeal has been made to the government to create Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) on herbal medicine as a complement to the country's health delivery system.

It would also help to create more jobs for the unemployed and bring enough foreign exchange to improve the nation's economy, Mr Bicus Anderson, Director of Bethel Herbal Clinic at Agona Swedru told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Sunday.

Mr Anderson appealed to the Ministry of Health to take a critical look at the problems confronting herbal medicine practitioners with the view to smoothening the sector to enable it play a leading role in the health sector.

He said a herbal clinic estimated at 800 million cedis is being constructed at Agona Swedru, adding that more than 300 million cedis had already been spent on the project slated for completion next January.

He said the clinic would cater for more than 40 patients and would have children's ward, female and male wards, an Out-patient Department and a modern laboratory.

Mr Anderson said 42,000 dollars worth of equipment would be installed at the centre.

He said 4.5 hectares of land had been acquired for the cultivation of herbal farm to serve as a research source into plant medicine for herbalists.

He urged herbalists to prepare their herbs into tablets instead of syrups to prolong the life span of the drugs. They should also label the drugs with expiry dates.

He called on the members of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Herbal Association to come out with more formulas to help find solution to the deadly HIV/AIDS.

Source: GNA