The Minister of Health has officially inaugurated the Board of Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine to oversee to the day to day activities of the institute.
The inauguration took place at the Conference hall of the Ministry of Health.
Welcoming the members of the Board, the Health Minister, Hon. Kweku Agyemang Manu acknowledged the center’s immensely contribution towards development of herbal industry in the country.
The objective of the Centre he noted is to research into plant medicine for the promotion, encouragement, extension, transfer and application of scientific research knowledge and development in tjecfield of plant medicine.
However revealed that, the absence of a governing board for the past three years, the function of the board have not been effective in its mandate and envisaged with serious limitations on its functionality.
Therefore indicated that, for the Centre to enhance the herbal industry in the country, it should ensure it establish guidelines for research into plant medicine and disseminate the results of the research, promote national and international collaboration, the transfer of technology for the effective development and utilization of research results and findings in plant medicine for the benefit of plant medicine for quality assurance.
The Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine was established in 1975 as an agency of the Ministry of Health.
Inaugurating the Board, the Health Minister, Hon. Kweku Agyemang Manu raised the Board to ensure the smooth running of the Center as well uplift the Center since it has not seen any major development in its enfrastruture.
“It must interest the Board to note that, since it’s formation, the Centre had not seen any major infrastructure development and this has resulted in limited space for offices, research laboratory and other incidental facilities”, he opined.
Adding that, he expect that the Board would ensure it is done according to the down regulations.
This he says will enhance their mandate as well serve the good people of Ghana and the world at large.
The Minister also praised the Centre for currently trying to avail itself to Public Private partnership model , thus enter into joint ventureship with private investors’to enhance it’s production capacity and generate more funds to help the Centre.
In his acceptance speech, the Board Chairman on behalf of his colleagues thanked the President for the honour in appointing them.
And assured the President that, they will use their many years of experience in civil, public and private practice to promote scientific research, knowledge and development in plant medicine.
He concluded that, the Board will assist all the regulatory bodies to sanitize the system to improve the well being of the Ghanaian in plant medicine.
Source: Ishmael Barfi
