The second phase of the mandatory internship that ushers herbal medicine graduates from the Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology into the health care system started for the 2021/22 batch on Tuesday 18th October 2021.
The first phase was carried out for one year at various Hospitals, Regulatory Agencies, and Departments across the country. The second phase however unlike the first, is solely at the Centre for Plant Medicine Research and Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital both at Akwapem Mampong, Eastern Region over a period of one year.
The session began with a special welcome address by the director of the Plant Medicine Research Centre; Dr. Kofi Bobi Barimah, Head of clinical department Ms. Mavis Boakye-Yiadom continued with the legalities, state, and vision of the clinical department for the interns.
To end the session, Mr. Conrad Alexis K. Sapaty Head of the biostatistics department who also doubles as the one in charge of the internship assured and encouraged the interns of their successful stay and the need for them to put up an excellent performance in order to leave a lasting mark in their own lives and whoever they will meet hereafter.
After the brief orientation at the Centre for plant medicine research conference room, the interns were taken around the facility to familiarize themselves and to ease movement.
LARGEST GROUP OF INTERNS
With a total number of forty-one (41) interns undergoing the training, this batch of Herbal Medicine graduates takes the record of being the largest group in the history of the program
ORIENTATION BY TMPC
Last week Tuesday 11th October, both the outgoing and incoming Herbal Medicine Interns converged at the CHRIST THE KING CATHEDRAL CONFERENCE ROOM at Accra and underwent briefing by the TRADITIONAL MEDICINE COUNCIL (TMPC) led by Mr. George Addy-Boye Head of Human resource.
As part of the orientation, the outgoing interns vividly took the incoming interns through the expected series of events that they are likely to experience during their stay; clinically, socially, morally etc. Before the closure of the orientation, the interns were given room to communicate their grievances to TMPC representatives as well asked questions that bothered them. The outgoing interns received clarification on the process of registration and sitting for the professional qualifying exams (PQE) later in October 2021.
ROTATIONAL ROUTINES AT THE PLANT MEDICINE RESEARCH CENTRE.
The large group of interns was further split into seven subgroups prior to the rotational scheme which is scheduled to last for a period of 6 months at end of which will be assessments by various authorities assigned them.
FINAL SESSION OF ROTATION AT TETTEH QUARSHIE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The climax of the internship as done every year demands that the clinical aspect be carried out at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in a similar rotation fashion as at the center for plant medicine research unlike at the CPMR, the interns will get abreast with all medical, surgical, obstetrics and gynecological as well as pediatric proceedings of the facility where the mode of treatment is orthodox, not herbal.
With sighs of satisfaction from the various facilitators who began the training sessions for the 2021/22 herbal medicine interns, there is high hope that they all would pass their professional qualifying exam successfully after completing their turn at Mampong.
ATSAH-NUNYAWU TALENT
Medical Herbalist Intern,
Centre For Plant Medicine Research