Ghana to set up Plant Medicine Research Centre after parliamentary approval

Parliament on Friday passed the Special Health Training and Plant Medicine Research Bill to establish the Centre for Plant Medicine Research to promote scientific research, knowledge and development in plant medicine.

In addition, it would promote activities at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as a natural postgraduate medicinal college for training of specialists in medicine, surgery and other disciplines.

The Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives would promote specialist education in nursing and midwifery, and the Ghana College of Pharmacists to promote postgraduate education in Pharmacy.

Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister of Health, moved for the Bill to be passed and was seconded by Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Member of Parliament for Asawase.

It contains 111 clauses.

The Bill is divided into four parts, the first part deals with the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, second part deals with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the third part deals with the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwifes whiles the fourth part deals with the Ghana College of Pharmacists.

One of the objects of the Bill is to revise the Law which established the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine Decree, 1975 (NRCD 344)) as amended by the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (Amendment) Act, 1976 (S.M.C.D 12). The Law has not been revised since 1976.

The objective of the centre is to research into plant medicine for the promotion, encouragement, regulation, extension, transfer and application of scientific research knowledge and development in the field of plant medicine.

Functions of the Centre include the promotion of national and international collaboration, transfer of technology for the effective development and utilisation of research results and findings for the benefit of the country.

Source: GNA