An urgent open letter to the President: Urgent call for intervention in the affairs of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC)

His Excellency John Drama­ni Mahama

I write to you with deep frustration and concern regarding the state of the Traditional Med­icine Practice Coun­cil (TMPC) and the ongoing challenges practitioners and associations face under its administration. The industry is currently in a state of turmoil due to unresolved issues concern­ing the position of the Registrar and the general operations of the Council. This has dragged on since 2024, unaddressed, and on February 10, 2025, it escalated to the National Security level. This should alert you to the pressing nature of the issue, as hostility and unresolved matters led to an unidentified complainant reporting some key stakeholders to National Security.

This situation has led to a growing lack of confidence in the regulatory body and signifi­cant unrest among practitioners. For some time now, the TMPC has been battling leadership and administrative challenges, particu­larly regarding the position of the Registrar. The absence of a clear and effective leadership structure has resulted in disorder, with regulatory inefficiencies causing severe setbacks for practitioners and industry stakeholders. This lack of direction and coordina­tion has led to frustration among practitioners, many of whom have ceased complying with regulatory directives due to the Council’s perceived lack of legiti­macy and functionality.

Your Excellency, this issue is of urgent concern because the TMPC is supposed to be the backbone of the regulation and promotion of traditional, herbal, and alternative medicine in Gha­na. However, the ongoing leader­ship crisis has crippled its ability to function effectively, leaving practitioners feeling neglected, harassed, and demoralised. With­out swift intervention, this unrest may escalate, further destabilising an industry that holds significant potential for national develop­ment.

Your commitment to the ad­vancement of herbal, traditional, and alternative medicine is clearly articulated in the NDC’s mani­festo. The provisions outlined in your plan to:

1. Encourage more public universities to estab­lish herbal medicine research de­partments to enhance innovation and knowledge development.

2. Mainstream research-backed herbal, tradition­al, and alternative medicine into patient management at district hospitals.

3. Promote local and international partnerships for improved diagnostics, medicine production, and treatment.

4. Review the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act 1996 (Act 525) to strengthen regulation and quality control of herbal medi­cine products and clinical trials.

5. Promote investment in modern scientif­ic methods and technological innovations for the identification of active plant ingredients and the production of safe herbal medicinal products.

These commitments indicate that your government under­stands the importance of a well-functioning TMPC. How­ever, the ongoing crisis at the Council threatens to derail these noble objectives.

As a result, I respectfully urge your immediate intervention to:

• Resolve the leadership crisis at TMPC by en­suring a qualified and competent Registrar is appointed without further delay.

• Reassess and restructure the operations of the Council to align with the broader vision of enhancing herbal and alternative medicine in Ghana.

• Restore trust in the regulatory framework by engaging practitioners, asso­ciations, and stakeholders in a transparent and inclusive manner.

• Address the grievances of practitioners who feel unfairly targeted or neglect­ed by the Council’s ineffective administration.

Your Excellency, the industry is in a state of distress, and tensions are escalating. The inability of the TMPC to function effectively is pushing practitioners to disregard regulatory directives, which could have serious implications for public health and safety. Immedi­ate and decisive action is needed to restore order and ensure that Ghana’s traditional and alterna­tive medicine sector thrives under proper regulatory oversight.

I trust that, as a leader commit­ted to the advancement of this sector, you will take the necessary steps to resolve this crisis. I look forward to your prompt interven­tion in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, esq

Professor of Naturopathy

Barrister and Solicitor of the Superior Court of the Judica­ture, The Gambia

General Secretary

Ghana Alternative Medi­cal Practitioners Association (GAMPA)

BY PROF. RAPHAEL NYARKOTEY OBU