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ABEOKUTA – Alternate Medicine practitioners in Ogun State have been urged to come up with a holistic framework that will further promote indigenisation of the health system and values for the overall benefits of the citizenry.
Chief of Staff to Ogun State Governor, Alhaji Shuaib Salisu who gave the charge while declaring open a two-day Strategic Engagement on Alternate Medicine in Abeokuta, with the theme: “Promoting the Indigenous Health System and Values”, commended the responsive and effort of the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board (OGAMB), for its numerous interventions since the establishment of the agency.
Alhaji Salisu affirmed that when the strategic framework and documentation is in place, it would enable the government approach relevant international agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.
The Chief of Staff enjoined the practitioners to ensure standardisation of their practice towards improving the knowledge base of the service providers, noting that they should increase advocacy on the underlying benefits of alternate medicine and urged the agency to continue to explore, research, develop and harness its inherent potentials.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker said alternate medicine is the closest health system to people at the grassroots, revealing that government would establish a first class research alternate medicine laboratory in the State to enable practitioners and other research institutes tap into new areas in the use of herbs.
Earlier, Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Nurudeen Olaleye appreciated Governor Dapo Abiodun for creating a veritable platform accepted globally as an alternative means of addressing the people’s health challenges, assuring that the agency would continue to support the ‘Building our Future Together’ agenda, towards ensuring that citizens have access to improved alternate medicine across board.
Presenting a paper titled, “Herbs and the Nation”, Prof. Sam Oluwalana who described alternate medicine as a lucrative venture that has continued to enjoy global acceptance, emphasised the need for government at all levels to encourage and support herbal medicine.
Prof. Oluwalana while exposing participants to new areas of herbal medicine, highlighted the need to explore soil medicine, water and ocean medicine, heliotherapy, geophatic lines, among others to develop quality alternate medicine products.
