‘Make traditional medicine practitioners NHIS providers’

Executives of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM) have appealed to the Minister of Health to accredit traditional medicine practitioners as service providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

They also want traditional medicines to be added to the list of approved medications on the scheme.

The appeal was made by the National Organiser of GHAFTRAM, Nana Kwadwo Obiri, at the launch of the 19th Traditional Medicine Week of Ghana and 16th African Traditional Medicine Day in Accra last Wednesday.

Nana Obiri also appealed for a governing board to be constituted for the Traditional Medicine Practitioners Council (TMPC).

Celebration

Briefing the media on the 19th Traditional Medicine Day for the country and the 16th Africa Traditional Medicine Day, which will be held from August 29 to 31, 2018, Nana Obiri said it would be under the patronage of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and would be held at the Kumasi Technical University.

“There will be an exhibition of traditional medicine products and free clinical services during the three-day event,” he said.

Policy

A Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Kingsley Aboagye-Gyedu, before launching the day, said the request by GHAFTRAM to accredit practitioners as service providers on the NHIS was a policy decision and promised to forward it to the sector minister.

On the request for a TMPC board, Mr Aboagye-Gyedu said the sector minister had progressed with work on constituting one for the institution.

In an address, Mr Aboagye-Gyedu noted that the concerted efforts of the government and practitioners had brought the practice to an appreciable level of quality in the country.

He thanked members of the GHAFTRAM and institutions such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the collaboration towards improving upon traditional medicine practice in Ghana.

Galamsey

The acting Director of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate of the ministry, Dr Anastasia Yirenkyi, welcoming participants to the launch, said galamasey threatened the biodiversity of forests, resulting in the death of the raw materials needed in traditional medicine production.

She said, however, that the challenge could be overcome with the ongoing training of GHAFTRAM members in good agricultural practices to secure raw materials at the point of cultivation.