TMPC Shutters Nana Boakye Herbal Over Licence Violations

Tema: The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has closed down Nana Boakye Herbal Centre and sanctioned several others for operating with expired licences and unregistered staff. The facilities, located in the Tema Metropolis, were found to be in breach of the Council's regulations during a regulatory enforcement exercise conducted by the Council's Compliance, Inspection and Enforcement (CIE) Unit. According to Ghana News Agency, the exercise aimed at safeguarding public health by ensuring strict compliance with licensing and professional standards. It also sought to ensure that practitioners of traditional and alternative medicine operate within the provisions of the Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575). During the enforcement exercise, an inspection at Oduma Herbal Boutique revealed that one of its workers was unregistered, while Ancient Herbal was operating with an expired licence. However, both facilities were deemed compliant after they made immediate payments to initiate the regist ration process and renew their licences. The inspection team also evaluated Mallam Abdullah, a raw material dealer, That Day Herbal, and MH Organic Shop. All these facilities were found to be operating within the approved regulatory framework and were fully compliant with licensing and registration requirements. Addressing the media, Mr. Michael Lawson, the Head of Compliance, Inspection and Enforcement, explained that the exercise was part of the Council's mandate to promote, regulate, and educate practitioners while safeguarding public health. He elaborated that Nana Boakye Herbal was closed down primarily because it had been operating with an expired licence for eight years and employed two unregistered workers, both violations of Act 575. Mr. Lawson urged practitioners to ensure that their facility licences are valid and that all workers are duly registered. He emphasized that the Council would continue conducting regular inspections to protect the public from unregulated practices. 'Enforcement action s are not punitive, but intended to uphold standards and build public confidence in traditional and alternative medicine practice,' he said. He further appealed to the public to patronize only licensed facilities and to report any suspected illegal operations to the Council. He also mentioned that the TMPC plans to roll out similar enforcement exercises across other metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies in the coming weeks.