The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has closed down 30 traditional medicine facilities in the Ashanti Region following a major compliance and enforcement exercise that uncovered widespread breaches of Ghana's regulatory framework governing traditional and alternative healthcare practice.

The operation, which formed part of the Council's nationwide effort to sanitise the sector, also exposed the use of unqualified practitioners and the operation of facilities without the legally required licences and certifications.

The enforcement exercise, conducted over 10 working days, covered 55 traditional medicine facilities across the region to assess compliance with the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575), and other applicable regulations.

The Head of Compliance, Enforcement and Inspection at the Council, Michael Lawson, said operators found to be practising illegally would not only face administrative sanctions but would also be prosecuted.

He explained that although several of the affected facilities had petitioned the Council to reconsider the closures, enforcement measures would proceed in accordance with the law.

"Most of the facilities we have closed have appealed to the Council. However, the Council is considering sanctions and will pursue the necessary legal action against facilities found to be operating illegally," Lawson stated.

Mr Lawson said the Council, working with its legal department, would initiate criminal proceedings against operators who failed to obtain the necessary licences, professional certification and approval before offering healthcare services.

Protecting public health

He explained that the enforcement exercise was intended to protect the public from unsafe and unregulated healthcare practices while ensuring that practitioners operating within the traditional medicine sector complied with established professional and legal standards.

According to him, the Council remains committed to promoting safe, ethical and quality traditional healthcare delivery by ensuring that only qualified practitioners and duly licensed facilities operate across the country.

He urged practitioners yet to regularise their operations to do so promptly to avoid sanctions.

The Traditional Medicine Practice Council is the statutory body responsible for regulating traditional medicine practice in Ghana. Its mandate includes licensing practitioners and facilities, enforcing professional standards, inspecting healthcare establishments and ensuring compliance with laws governing traditional and alternative medicine.

The latest enforcement exercise forms part of broader efforts by health authorities to strengthen regulation of the sector, improve patient safety and enhance public confidence in traditional healthcare services.

The Council has indicated that similar compliance inspections and enforcement exercises will continue in other regions as part of its nationwide drive to eliminate illegal practice and uphold professional standards in Ghana's traditional medicine industry.