The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), a health regulator under the Ministry of Health, has for the second time been caught in an investigation by The Fourth Estate for licensing a quack herbal medicine practitioner.
The health regulator, which is responsible for the registration of traditional medicine practitioners, registered a non-existent herbal company, Krodwoa Herbal Enterprise, and licensed a non-existent herbal practitioner, Maxwell Akroma Duah.
This is contrary to the Traditional Medicine Act 2000, ACT 575 which states that to register a facility, applicants are required to present evidence of the ability of proposed practitioners in the practice, proof of registration, and testimonials from a traditional medicine practitioners association they belong to.
Also, to register a facility, the law requires an applicant to present the block plan of the premises and provisional approval from the district planning authority or relevant authorities on the land housing the premises.
Although Krodwoa Herbal Enterprise was non-existent, the Council licensed it. It also licensed its non-existent herbal practitioner, Mr. Duah.
The TMPC official told The Fourth Estate’s undercover reporter that though inspection was required, she could process the license without visiting and inspecting the herbal enterprise as required by law.
What is more fascinating is that the TMPC in its requirements said a herbal medicine manufacturer can only qualify as a traditional medical doctor after training by the TMPC.
But this was not done.
According to ACT 575, to qualify for registration as a traditional practitioner, an applicant must have had “adequate proficient practice in traditional medicine” and be endorsed by a district chairman of a recognized traditional medicine practitioners association or a district coordinating director.
The official, who handled the process, only tore part of a crumpled paper and wrote the list of items for the registration and corresponding costs in a way that suggested it was a regular practice done at the office.
The items included:
Form- GHC 10.00 Endorsement- GHC 20.00
Certificate- GHC 80.00 Licence- GHC 400.00
Inspection- GHC 200.00 Training-GHC 150.00
Total- GHC 860.00
The Fourth Estate’s undercover reporter presented the address of the facility, business registration, name of a guarantor, and photo identity of the non-existent practitioner, Mr. Duah.
Though the Council took money for training and inspection, neither the training nor the inspection took place.
Read more here:
How a health regulator, TMPC, licensed fake herbal medicine practitioner, again
