By King Amoah
The Chief Executive Officer of Amagashi Herbal Hospital in Kumasi, Apostle Dr. Samuel Amagashi, has passionately appealed to the government to establish a herbal nursing college that could help train and create employment opportunities for trained nurses to strengthen Ghana’s herbal and traditional healthcare system.
According to him the increasing unemployment among the training nurses in the country requires innovative interventions that can expand career opportunities beyond the conventional healthcare facilities.
Apostle Dr. Amagashi observed that thousands of nurses graduate from training institutions every year with the expectation to secure employment in the government and private orthodox health facilities, but the limited number of available vacancies left many qualified professionals without jobs.
He indicated that the establishment of a specialised herbal nursing college would equip graduates with the requisite knowledge and practical skills to work effectively in the licensed herbal hospitals and traditional medicine facilities across the country.
Apostle Dr. Amagashi reiterated that the initiative would not only help address nurse unemployment but it will also improve the quality of healthcare delivery within the herbal medicine sector by producing professionals with specialised training in herbal nursing and traditional healthcare practices.
He added that many licensed herbal hospitals are expanding their operations but often face the challenges of recruiting personnel with the appropriate knowledge and skills in herbal healthcare, hence thee creation of such an institutions are of necessity.
The herbal practitioner therefore called on the government, the Ministry of Health and other relevant stakeholders to consider incorporating herbal nursing education into Ghana’s healthcare training system to complement the existing nursing programmes.
Apostle Dr. Amagashi further appealed to the government to establish a framework that would encourage collaboration between orthodox and licensed herbal hospitals to improve healthcare delivery in the country.
He proposed that the orthodox hospitals should be allowed to refer patients to licensed herbal hospitals for treatment where appropriate, while herbal hospitals could also refer patients requiring conventional medical interventions to the orthodox health facilities.
The structured referral system between the two healthcare sectors would promote an integrated healthcare system, widen treatment options for patients to ensure that individuals receive appropriate care based on their health needs, Dr Amegashie indicated.
Apostle Dr. Samuel Amagashi made the appeal during the commissioning ceremony of a new facility at the Amagashi Herbal Hospital at Suame Maakro in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
On his part the Chief of Nkwantakese Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, urged Ghanaians to prioritise regular medical check-ups and seek professional medical advice before taking any medications.
He said early diagnosis and timely medical intervention in preventing diseases and improving health outcome are. the best options for everyone.
He commended the management of Amagashi Herbal Hospital for expanding its healthcare infrastructure through the commissioning of the new facility and encouraged private healthcare providers to continue complementing government efforts to improve access to quality healthcare services.
The newly commissioned facility is expected to enhance healthcare delivery and improve access to quality herbal medical services for residents of Kumasi and across the country.
