Traditional Medicine Council closes 3 unlicensed facilities

The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has closed down three traditional and alternative medicine facilities in the Upper East Region for operating without valid licences and breaching regulatory requirements under the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575).

The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has closed down three traditional and alternative medicine facilities in the Upper East Region for operating without valid licences and breaching regulatory requirements under the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575).

The affected facilities, all located in the Bolgatanga Municipality, are Annicom Scientific Herbal Clinic, NIDA Homoeopathic Clinic and Amen Scientific Herbal Hospital.

The enforcement action forms part of the council's efforts to ensure that traditional and alternative medicine practitioners operate within the law and to protect the public from unsafe and unregulated healthcare services.

Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the acting Administrative Secretary of the TMPC, Dr Evelyn Abayaah-Issah, said the council would not tolerate facilities and practitioners who continued to operate without the required licences.

Annicom Scientific Herbal Clinic

Dr Abayaah-Issah explained that Annicom Scientific Herbal Clinic had been operating without a facility licence since 2016.

She said the facility was being managed by a physician assistant who was not licensed by the council to practise as a medical herbalist.

According to her, although physician assistants were recognised as orthodox health professionals, they were not permitted to practise as medical herbalists unless they were working in a properly licensed facility authorised to provide both orthodox and herbal medical services.

She further noted that the facility did not have a supervising physician or medical herbalist, as required by law, while its support staff were also not registered with the council.

NIDA Homoeopathic Clinic

The acting administrative secretary said inspections at NIDA Homoeopathic Clinic revealed several regulatory breaches.

She explained that although the facility had laboratory and scanning equipment, it did not have qualified personnel to interpret laboratory and scan results.

In addition, she said none of the staff members was licensed by the council.

Dr Abayaah-Issah added that the facility's operating licence expired in 2020, while the practitioner's licence expired in 2009 and had never been renewed.

Amen Scientific Herbal Hospital

Dr Abayaah-Issah said Amen Scientific Herbal Hospital also failed to meet the council's licensing requirements.

She explained that the facility was established in 2015, ceased operations in 2020 and resumed services in 2023 without obtaining a valid operating licence.
She added that the licence of the practitioner currently operating at the facility expired in 2024.

Public safety

Dr Abayaah-Issah stressed that the council's action was intended to safeguard public health and ensure that patients received treatment from qualified and duly licensed practitioners.

She explained that the TMPC derives its mandate from the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575), which empowers it to regulate, promote and oversee traditional and alternative medicine practice in Ghana.

She said the council was responsible for registering qualified practitioners, licensing healthcare facilities, enforcing professional and ethical standards, supporting training and professional development, and collaborating with other regulatory agencies to improve the quality and safety of traditional medicine practice.

She further said the council also worked to protect consumers from unsafe and unethical practices while supporting the integration of traditional medicine into Ghana's healthcare delivery system.

Warning

Dr Abayaah-Issah cautioned practitioners operating without valid licences to regularise their status or risk sanctions under the law.

She urged members of the public to seek treatment only from facilities and practitioners licensed by the council, emphasising that compliance with regulatory standards was essential to protecting lives and maintaining confidence in traditional and alternative medicine services.