The Acting Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), Dr(MH). Yakubu Tobor Yusuf has announced intensified efforts to regulate and sanitize Ghana’s traditional and complementary medicine space, warning that no Ghanaian should be subjected to unsafe or inhumane healing practices.
Speaking on the Teknokrat Show with Khayrullah Issah Dobo on Focus FM, Dr(MH). Yusuf explained that the TMPC was established by Act 575 of 2000 to promote and regulate traditional medicine practice in Ghana.
The council oversees a wide range of practices from traditional bone setting and birth attendants to psychic healing, African massage, Ayurveda, Thai massage, yoga, spa centers, and other wellness services. He emphasized that anyone involved in healthcare delivery within the traditional or faith-based space must be registered and licensed by the council.
“No Ghanaian should be subjected to any inhumane interventions in the name of seeking healing,” he stressed.
Currently, about 7,000 practitioners are on the council’s registry, a figure he described as very small compared to the estimated 70,000 to 100,000 practitioners believed to be operating nationwide based on population ratios and World Health Organization data.
According to Dr. Yusuf, the council works closely with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in a co-regulatory framework. While the TMPC regulates practitioners and premises, the FDA regulates the products used and sold. In response to growing concerns about controversial healing methods and exaggerated claims, he revealed that the council’s compliance team will soon begin nationwide inspections to enforce standards.
He admitted that the council had been “a sleeping giant” in the past, which allowed unqualified and profit-driven individuals to dominate parts of the space.
He stressed that public safety remains the top priority, adding that investigations are ongoing into questionable healing practices.
“If you are not sticking to the standards set by Act 575, you should know that the council will be out to check and bring the full weight of the law to bear,” he warned.
Dr(MH) Yakubu Tobor Yusuf. Yusuf reiterated that regulation is not to suppress traditional medicine but to protect the public and restore confidence in the sector.