Dr Moses Dogbatsey backs push for stronger local pharmaceutical production

Ghanaian herbal medicine company Medi-Moses Group of Companies says it has been developing plant-based medicines for nearly three decades. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr De-Gaulle Moses Dogbatsey, has combined medical practice with research in plant medicine. His work comes at a time when Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh is urging Ghanaian researchers to move their discoveries beyond the laboratory and develop commercially viable medicines and vaccines. Speaking at the Research Meets Manufacturing award ceremony under the PharmaVax Ghana programme, Akandoh said the success of the initiative should be measured not by the number of research grants awarded but by the number of projects that progress into commercially viable products. He said Ghana needed to strengthen local pharmaceutical production to reduce dependence on imported medicines, retain foreign exchange and improve the country’s health security. Dr Dogbatsey trained as a medical doctor at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and later obtained an MPhil in Pharmacognosy (Plant Medicine) from the university. He also trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Between 2004 and 2008, he headed the Clinical Research Department at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine at Mampong-Akuapem. He later established the Medi-Moses Clinic and Prostate Centre, which operates in different parts of the country. The company focuses on herbal medicine and the management of conditions including prostate-related ailments. Push for local pharmaceutical production Medi-Moses’ activities come amid government efforts to increase local pharmaceutical production. The Health Minister has announced a government framework contract for medicines estimated at GH¢159 million, with plans for expansion, to create a predictable market for locally manufactured pharmaceutical products. He has also called for partnerships that support technology transfer and strengthen local expertise in the pharmaceutical sector. The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners has endorsed efforts to translate research into healthcare products, particularly research involving plants grown in Ghana. Its President, Dr Andre Kwesi Kumah, said research into locally grown plants could benefit the Ghanaian population and described the work being done in the area as worthy of encouragement and support. Medi-Moses says its experience demonstrates the potential to translate locally conducted research into products for the Ghanaian market.Source: Richmond Agyiri, Contributor
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