From right: Birander Singah, Dr. Michael Kojo Kyeremateng, Dr. Anupriya Chaudhary, Reaserch Officer, Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, Ministry of Ayush, India and Mahesh Chand of the Indian High Commission in Ghana.
The Indian High Commission in Ghana has announced its preparedness to assist in building the capacity of C4C Homeopathic Hospital in order to enhance homeopathic treatment in the country.
Interacting with media personalities at the High Commission’s office in Accra, Birander Singah, High Commissioner of India to Ghana, said two Indian homeopathy doctors were already in the country to offer training to the hospital staff.
“We would be ready to assist through capacity building – be it in the form of visiting experts like we have here, extra-curricular, sub-technical advice or our visiting chair,” he said.
Mr. Singah also disclosed that plans were underway to build upon existing alternative forms of medicine in the country and not only homeopathy.
Dr. Michael Kojo Kyeremateng, President and Medical Director of C4C Homoepathic Hospital, which has 10 branches across the country, said the collaboration with the Indian High Commission was to promote quality assurance in Homeopathic treatment in Ghana.
“Since its inception in 1960 in Ghana, though people have heard of it, the efficacy of it is not proven, a lot of people have doubt about it, a lot of people also see it to be very expensive, a lot of people also think the people practising it do not have the required educational qualification and that’s why we brought in the Indian government,” he explained.
He further explained that the Indian government was in because when it comes to medicine as in homeopathy, India has taken the lead all over the world because it has a full ministry, overseeing the activities of homeopathy education in India and probably homeopathic treatment.
He said the Indian experts in the country would be bringing on board knowledge transfer in the form of homeopathic medical books.
“There is no library in Ghana and there is no place in Ghana where you can get homeopathic books and also they themselves have subjects to lead the student through in the homeopathic medical programme,” he added.
Academic Collaboration
Dr. Kyeremateng said the hospital was looking at strengthening their agency through more collaborations with tertiary institutions in the country to establish departments for homeopathy as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has done with herbal medicine.
“Basically, we are looking at negotiating with various vice chancellors of universities to accept the curricular of homeopathic education so those who desire to become medical homeopaths in Ghana can have training and for those who are already in the practice, can be in what we call continued professional development program (CPD) to also enhance their practices and gain the necessary recognition that is needed,” he added.
He said the hospital had just received the professional accreditation from the ministry of health and were yet to receive accreditation from NAB to run an educational programme.
He called on the government to reconstitute the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to facilitate the process for institutions awaiting accreditation.
“I appeal to the president to constitute the board for the National Accreditation Board to ensure that the new institutions will begin running their programmes to benefit the people of Ghana,” he added.
Affordability
Touching on the cost of homeopathy treatment which is perceived as expensive, Dr. Kyeremateng said the treatment is very affordable, taking into consideration the many factors involved in the process.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri