Aponche Clinic and CRPM to collaborate on herbal remedies

Mampong-Akuapem (E/R), May 19, GNA – Aponche Memorial Herbal Clinic has agreed to collaborate with the Mampong Centre for Research into Plant Medicine and help transform the Clinic into a world class centre of excellence in herbal medicine.

The Clinic which specializes in the use of herbs to treat bone fractures, dislocations and other bone related problems is based in Tema Community five and has branches at Pipe Ano-Tanokrom at Takoradi, and Swedru, is also renowned for treating diseases like malaria, jaundice, typhoid, body pains, rheumatic pains, sexual weakness and abdominal pains.

This came to light during preliminary talks between the Board and Management of Aponche Clinic and the Management of the Centre for Research into Plant Medicine (CRPM) Mampong-Akuapem which is expected to lead to eventual signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.

Mr Kwasi Afriyie-Badu, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aponche Clinic, called on Centre for Research into Plant Medicine to take the lead in establishing a magazine which would focus on the use of herbs in the country.

He said the Aponche Clinic would like to be an outlet for the sale of the herbal drugs of the Centre and would also provide its herbal preparations for use at the Out Patience Department of the Centre's Clinic.

He said if herbal medicine is developed and standards are set, many more people would use herbal medicine in the country and attract others from foreign counties to seek for herbal treatment in Ghana.

Mr Afriyie-Badu said management of Aponchche clinic is in talks with a wholesale dealer for the purchase of herbal preparations from the clinic for sale in Togo and the Republic of Benin.

He invited the management of the CRPM to visit Aponche Clinic and get acquainted with the facilities at the place and help with suggestions that would help transform the Clinic into a world class centre in herbal therapy.

Mr Alfred Ampomah Appiah, the Deputy Director of CRPM, said Ghana has the potential to develop herbal medicine to earn foreign exchange adding that the major challenge facing the development of herbal medicine in the country is the unwillingness of herbal practitioners to give out their knowledge on herbs and called for the extension of the intellectual property law to also cover herbs.

GNA