The Ghana Association of Medical Herbalists has submitted over thirty-three (33) drugs to the Ministry of Health (MoH) as possible medication to fight the novel coronavirus. The MoH has however delayed in the testing and approval processes of the drugs.
President of the Ghana Association of Medical Herbalists, Dr. Anthony Mensah who was not happy about the delays made this disclosure to Happy98.9FM’s Samuel Eshun, in an interview on the Happy Morning Show.
The Doctor noted that the drugs “were kept at the Ministry for 3 weeks before” they were forwarded to the Mampong Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine for testing. “We don’t know how or why it delayed there and the kind of investigations being done at Mampong”. Samples of the drugs have now been gone for testing over 6weeks.
He asserted that some of these traditional drugs had already been taken through the various testing and processes prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. “Some of these drugs have already been approved and are on sale” and saw no reason why they had to be tested again.
Dr. Mensah acknowledged that the Ministry had their reasons for retesting these drugs once more and asked them to speed up the process. “No scientist will want a drug to be used on people when it has not been approved. But we need the Government to test the drugs and aslo give approval for the already registered to be used to help Ghanaians”.
When asked if he had any opposition to Government’s decision to go for the COVID Organics from Madagascar for testing and possible use, the doctor answered in the negative. He mentioned that he had no problems if the COVID-Organics cured citizens of the virus. “But if the cure is right here in Ghana and we keep looking elsewhere, then there is a problem,” he stated.
If management of COVID-19 with a Ghanaian herbal product should prove successful and effective, not only would it bring the much-needed relief to the fight against the pandemic but it would also earn the nation international recognition and huge foreign exchange earnings.
By: Joel Sanco