The Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), Dr. (MH) Yakubu Tobor Yusuf, has urged newly qualified Medical Herbalists to accept postings to rural communities and contribute actively to research aimed at advancing traditional medicine and strengthening healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Dr. Yusuf made the call during the 7th Medical Herbalist Induction Ceremony, where 48 newly qualified Medical Herbalists were formally inducted into the profession.
Addressing the inductees, he challenged them to move beyond their academic achievements and make meaningful contributions to the growth and global recognition of medical herbalism through research, innovation, and dedicated service.
A major highlight of his address was his appeal to the newly inducted professionals to honour government postings to underserved communities.
Dr. Yusuf lamented that many health professionals often seek transfers to urban centres after being posted to rural areas, despite the acute shortage of healthcare workers in such communities.
“When the government calls upon you to serve in rural communities, honour that call. There are not many health professionals willing to be posted to these communities, and that is the challenge,” he said.
He revealed that government plans to expand integrated herbal medicine services beyond the existing 50 centres would require committed professionals willing to work in district hospitals and remote areas.
“We are pushing to ensure that, aside from the 50 integrated herbal medicine centres, we establish an additional 150. So when you are called upon to serve, please do not refuse postings to these communities,” he urged.
Drawing inspiration from foreign medical volunteers who have historically served in remote Ghanaian villages, Dr. Yusuf challenged the inductees to make similar sacrifices for their fellow citizens.
“Growing up, we saw physicians from the UK and the US leaving the comfort of the West to come and treat people in our villages. If we cannot do that for our own people, who else is going to do it?” he asked.
The Registrar also encouraged Medical Herbalists to take a keen interest in research, stressing that Ghana possesses a rich repository of indigenous medicinal knowledge that remains largely undocumented.
According to him, this presents a unique opportunity for practitioners to conduct research and develop evidence-based treatments.
“Do not be content with what you already know. The forest of knowledge you have entered has no clear boundaries. There are plants that have been used for generations and conditions being managed daily in communities across this country whose treatment protocols have never been documented,” he stated.
He encouraged the newly inducted practitioners to engage traditional healers and community elders to document valuable indigenous knowledge, noting that many globally recognised medicines have originated from plants used in traditional healthcare systems.
“You have the training to change that. Go into the field, speak to the elders, and record what you find. The knowledge is there, waiting for someone with education and curiosity to study it. The next Nobel laureate could be sitting among you,” he said.
Dr. Yusuf stressed that the future of medical herbalism depends on scientific research and evidence-based practice.
“Medical herbalism without research is tradition. Medical herbalism with research is medicine,” he declared.
He explained that the international medical community would only fully embrace herbal medicine when practitioners provide scientific evidence of its efficacy and safety through clinical trials, pharmacological studies and toxicological assessments.
The Registrar urged Medical Herbalists to collaborate with universities and research institutions, particularly the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, to advance scientific investigations into herbal treatments.
“Our sector needs clinical trials. It needs pharmacological studies. It needs toxicology assessments. It needs practitioners who are not afraid to put our treatments to the test because we know that when you do, you will succeed,” he said.
Dr. Yusuf also called on Medical Herbalists to defend the profession against criticism by upholding the highest standards of professionalism and ethical practice.
He argued that rather than dismissing herbal medicines outright, healthcare professionals should focus on ensuring their proper use and dosage.
“Every drug is a potential poison. It is the dose that determines whether it heals or harms. The same principle applies to herbal medicines,” he explained.
He advised practitioners to maintain proper records, follow established treatment protocols, make timely referrals when necessary, and ensure quality service delivery.
“Defend the practice by being so thoroughly professional that the sceptics run out of arguments,” he said.
Reflecting on his own journey from Medical Herbalist to regulator, Dr. Yusuf highlighted the diverse opportunities available within the profession.
He noted that Medical Herbalists are making significant contributions in clinical practice, entrepreneurship, regulation, research and policy development.
“Some of our colleagues are in the entrepreneurial space while saving lives. Some are in the regulatory space, some are in policy, and others are in hospitals. It shows how versatile you are as Medical Herbalists,” he stated.
As the first Medical Herbalist to serve as Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council, Dr. Yusuf encouraged the inductees to remain committed to excellence and lifelong learning.
He reminded the newly inducted practitioners that they carry the hopes of their families, the nation and generations of traditional medicine practitioners.
“The nation has invested in you. Your families have invested in you. But more than any of that, this profession, stretching back generations before any of us were born, has invested in you,” he said.
He challenged them to become ambassadors of evidence-based traditional medicine and help position Ghana as a global leader in medical herbalism.
“You are the future of this profession. You are the generation that will determine whether medical herbalism in Ghana becomes a world-class, evidence-based and fully integrated pillar of our national healthcare system,” he stressed.
The induction ceremony marked the formal entry of a new cohort of Medical Herbalists into professional practice, with the inductees taking the oath to uphold the values, ethics and standards of the profession while contributing to healthcare delivery across the country.
By 1960news.com
