The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has intensified its enforcement exercise against unlicensed traditional and alternative medicine facilities operating in the Ashanti Region.
The exercise, which has so far covered a number of facilities in Kumasi and beyond is aimed at ensuring compliance with regulations governing the practice and protecting the public from unqualified practitioners and potentially unsafe treatment practices.
Some of the facilities inspected were found to be operating without valid licences, while others had challenges with documentation and meeting the required regulatory standards.
“We had to close down some of the facilities because the operators could not provide valid licences to authenticate the services they were offering. In some cases, the practitioners had been absent for months, leaving the facilities in the care of unqualified personnel,” explained Michael Lawson, Head of Compliance, Enforcement and Inspection at the TMPC.
The enforcement exercise, according to officials, is intended to rid the sector of unlicensed operators and ensure that only qualified and properly licensed practitioners are allowed to operate.
“Our aim is to ensure that we protect patients and restore public confidence in traditional and alternative healthcare services,” Mr Lawson stated.
The Council is urging traditional medicine practitioners to obtain the necessary licences and comply with all regulatory requirements before offering services to the public.
The public, meanwhile, has been advised to verify the credentials and licensing status of practitioners before seeking their services and to report suspected illegal operations to the appropriate authorities.
By Ibrahim Abubakar
