…Recognizes MTMPN
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The Minister of State, federal ministry of health, Sen Olorunnimbe Mamora, has charged the members of Modern Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria to work towards getting a Council that will take care of their welfare and regulate their activities.
The Minister’s charge was presented to the body by the Director of Traditional and Complimentary Medicines, Zainab Sherrif, who represented him at the association’s first meeting of the year 2022, in Abuja.
Momora noted that medical practising cannot be complete without a holistic involvement of traditional medicine which is the foundation of all medicines.
“We cannot shy away from the truth. Traditional Medicine is not only the foundation of medical practition but also mother of all medical practice. What we are concerned with is to see our traditional medicine practitioners to get a Council that will take over their welfare, regulate their activities and interface with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDA, for listing of their products.”
He maintained that the country is blessed with quality traditional medicine practitioners, who can join the orthordox medicine practitioners to develop the profession but noted that they must jettison the method of localising the practice and seek to make it a globally acceptable practice.
He further stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is a strong believer in the efficacy of traditional medicine which was the reason a directorate was created in the ministry headed by Sherrif who is also a traditional medicine practitioners to coordinate the affairs and activities of the body,
Momora urged them to shun internal strife and focus on the things that will improve their work and take it to global recognition.
“We in the federal ministry of health are happy to tell you that we welcome your activities which mainly is providing services within your locality but what we are saying is that before you take these services to the city, you must harmonize the products, get them registered by NAFDAC so that you will be controlled.
“If all these are done, your products will effectively compete with other products from other parts of the world and that will lead to recognition and wealth.”
Speaking earlier, the National President, MTMPN & TCAM national coordinator, Dr. Ibrahim Dada Nakowa, said “Today, MTMPN has been established and strongly put its base on solid marble of recognition in the federal ministry of health and its sister agency like the federal ministry of Science and Technology.”
He called on the members to be confident that the MTMPN is accepted and recognized as umbrella body of all traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria by the federal Ministry of health.
Dada Nakowa further assured his members of the body’s preparedness to welcome everyone who is truly a traditional medicine practitioners into the fold but maintained that the MTMPN will not condone any form of quacks that will give them a bad image.
He discouraged them from taking legal actions against one another saying anyone with grudges should always forward his/her grievances to the appropriate quarter in the national office as they have internal dispute resolution mechanism.
MTMPN presented Awards to both the Minister of State and the Director of TCAM in the ministry, who they honoured with the title: Mother of MTMPN.
