First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has made a case for the use of alternative medicine alongside conventional or orthodox care to enhance efficiency in providing quality healthcare.
She made the call on Wednesday when she inaugurated the Nature’s Cure Centre, a latest addition to the Impact Medical and Diagnostic Centre, solely focused on homeopathic treatment.
According to the First Lady, alternative medicines had over the years proven to be of great benefit in health delivery and hoped that “Ghana would create an integrated and accessible health system, using conventional medicine, well researched and safe alternative remedies, in the nearest future.”
“We all acknowledge the important contribution of conventional medicine in health delivery. But we know that alternative medicine can also provide great benefits to communities. Each system has its strengths and of course weaknesses.
What we must do is to endeavour to contribute and share the best that alternative medicine has to offer as an alternative and complementary system, and strive to continue integrating conventional and alternative medicine, for the ultimate benefit of all,” she stressed.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo was confident that the creation of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate at the Ministry of Health would provide guidance in harnessing alternative medical practice at the various health facilities to save lives.
“It is good to know that Health facilities like LEKMA, Police Hospital, Komfo Anokye and La Polyclinic are already running pilot projects, incorporating alternative medicine with conventional medicine.
It is my hope that working with the Alternative Medicine Directorate, more health facilities will come on board. This will certainly benefit the country. Because indeed, alternative medicine, has much to offer Ghana,” she maintained.
Chief Executive Officer of Impact Medical and Diagnostic Centre, Mrs Aku Sika Bediako, observed that demands of medical practice in recent times required a blend of conventional and alternative treatment.
She explained that the new facility was resourced with homeopathic specialists who were conversant with the professional and modern ways of administering homeopathy for effective health outcomes.
A Specialist in Hahnermann Homeopathy, Dr. Heinz Hubber, recommended the practice of alternative medication, as resistance to conventional medicines was on the rise globally.
“Homeopathy has minimal side effects because we focus on the whole body in the healing process and cost of administering it, less expensive.
Dr Hubber however cautioned that homeopathy was practiced only by trained medical professionals and “not just anybody.”
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
