The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has closed down Nana Boakye Herbal Centre and sanctioned several other facilities in the Tema Metropolis for operating with expired licences and employing unregistered staff.

The breaches were uncovered during a regulatory enforcement exercise conducted by the Council’s Compliance, Inspection and Enforcement (CIE) Unit. The exercise aimed to safeguard public health by ensuring practitioners of traditional and alternative medicine comply with licensing and professional standards under the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575).

Inspections revealed that Oduma Herbal Boutique employed an unregistered worker, while Ancient Herbal operated with an expired licence. Both facilities, however, were deemed compliant and allowed to reopen after immediately initiating the registration process and licence renewal, respectively.

The team also inspected Mallam Abdullah, That Day Herbal, and MH Organic Shop, all of which were found to be fully compliant with licensing and registration requirements.

Addressing the media, Mr. Michael Lawson, Head of Compliance, Inspection and Enforcement, explained that Nana Boakye Herbal was closed because its operational licence had been expired for eight years and it employed two unregistered workers, in violation of Act 575.

“Enforcement actions are not punitive, but intended to uphold standards and build public confidence in traditional and alternative medicine practice,” he said.

Mr. Lawson urged all practitioners to ensure their facility licences are valid and that all staff are duly registered. He said the Council will continue regular inspections to protect the public from unregulated practices.

He further appealed to the public to patronise only licensed facilities and to report suspected illegal operations to the Council, noting that similar enforcement exercises will be conducted across other metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies in the coming weeks.

Source: GNA

Policy framework completed for primary healthcare programme – Akandoh