Prof Ocloo and Dr Busia cutting tape to open the lab
TWO modern laboratories to enhance the capacity of the Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR) at Mampong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region to conduct standard research analysis into traditional medicinal products in the country have been inaugurated.
The pharmaceutics and microbiology laboratories have modern equipment that will support the centre to ensure the production of safe and efficacious herbal products.
The laboratories, which were refurbished at the cost of GH¢215, 000, was sponsored by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Executive Director of the Centre, Prof Augustine Ocloo, said the new laboratories would be used to conduct standard research analysis of herbal products of both the centre and those of herbalists in the country.
Explaining the functions of the facility, he said the pharmaceutics laboratory would be used in formulation of the required dosage, improve quality control and determine the shelf life of herbal products.
He added that the microbiology lab would be used for clinical work to analyse herbal products, the presence of harmful pathogens and the development of anti-biotic in order to prevent the production of contaminated herbal products.
“If one wants to come out with herbal products such as capsules, tea and tablets, it is the pharmaceutics laboratory that will be used to formulate a certain dosage of herbal product that people can consume safely. Besides, the pharmaceutics laboratory also has chambers for stability test to know how long one can keep a particular medicine on the shelf,” he said.
He pointed out that the absence of standard pharmaceutics and microbiology laboratories at the centre previously caused researchers from the Centre to travel to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and University of Ghana, Legon to carry out stability and quality control tests, a situation he described as challenging.
He, therefore, expressed profound appreciation to WAHO for their support to the centre, and was hopeful that other organisations would emulate the gesture of WAHO to help refurbish other laboratories and raise their standards too.
The acting Director of Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr Anastasia Yirenkyi, said the new pharmaceutics and the microbiology laboratories were important since one of the policies of the MOH was to achieve the global strategy for health and development of traditional medicine Agenda 2023.
She stated that the facilities would not only serve products of the Centre but would also bring a facelift in the areas of traditional medicine development and called on herbalists to bring their products to the centre for analysis of their products.
For his part, the Director of Health Care Services at WAHO, Dr Kofi Busia, said the Centre for Plant Medicine Research was a critical asset since it was the only research institution into plant medicine of its kinds in the whole of West Africa.
“This is the first time we have given direct support to any country where the money has been used for something visible, and as a sub-regional institution we will do whatever we can to ensure that your work benefit not only the people of Ghana but the entire sub-region,” he said.
From Ama TekyiwaaAmpaduAgyeman, Koforidua
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