Weed out quack alternative medicine practitioners using ‘Dr’. Title-Oklepeme Urges TMPC

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By Jeffrey Thompson

The Konor of Yilo Klo state, Oklepeme Nuer Anobaah Sasraku II at the event

The Konor of Yilo Klo state,  Oklepeme Nuer Anobaah Sasraku II has charged the Traditional Medicine Practice Council of the Ministry of Health to weed out quack alternative Medicine Practitioners in the Country who do not have professional Doctorate in alternative medicine but using the title Doctor .

[ads1]Oklepeme was concerned about how some people on the airwaves claiming to be alternative Medical Practitioners using the title” Dr.” with no basic medical knowledge in alternative medicine yet they are providing medical services.

“This is dangerous to our health system. Interestingly, sometimes, you do not blame these practitioners as some of them have been licensed and registered by the government statutory regulating body to regulate the practice-The Traditional Medicine Practice Council of the Ministry Of Health. I am calling on the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and the Media to help weed out these quacks from the system from today. The Traditional Medicine Practice Council should do their background checks of qualification of these practitioners and further conduct professional license exams before issuing license to practice in Ghana” he said.

Speaking at the first public lecture on alternative medicine at the Nyarkotey college of Holistic Medicine at the Ashaiman campus , he said, The title “Dr’ shouldn’t just be given to anybody in the alternative or traditional medicine field without holding any professional Doctorate program in alternative medicine and passing the professional qualifying exams. “We need to produce quality medical practitioners in the field of alternative medicine to help address the numerous challenges confronting the medical fields and not substandard or quack practitioners. I therefore entreat the council to be Proactive to streamline the profession and enforce or amend the laws for the use of titles by these practitioners henceforth.

All those without any professional Doctorate programs in alternative medicine who already have been issued TMPC license and have the title “Dr.” should be revoke during the renewals with immediate effect and qualified practitioners names should be published in the newspapers for public health safety. Alternative medicine practice should be in the hands of experts and not quacks.  The advanced countries have really developed in both conventional and alternative medicine and it is time for Ghana to rise up and have a national discourse on the practice of alternative medicine. You can’t be called a Doctor in holistic medicine without going to holistic Medical Schools in the advance countries and the TMPC must rise up! The public must know the background of the alternative practitioners they go to and it is the duty of the TMPC to provide the general public with information on the practice”

Notwithstanding, according to Oklepeme , there are no schools or universities  offering medical programs in alternative medicine and this is one of the major setbacks to train practitioners in the field . This is one reason why I am very happy today, as one of my sons from the Dangme land; who has achieved remarkable national and international feats in Holistic Medicine has taken the bold steps to establish the first Holistic Medical College to address the educational gaps.