Herbal Medicine producers in Ghana want the support of the government to enable them to conduct research to produce medications for the treatment of COVID-19.

The producers say they’re well-positioned to produce effective medication for treatment considering that they have played crucial roles in producing medicines that build the immune system amidst the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) together with the National Medicine Regulatory Agency, approved the first herbal medicine for clinical trials on COVID-19 treatment.

Following this development, some herbal medicine producers are calling for government support to enable them to produce medications for the treatment of COVID-19, as they believe they have the capacity to do so.

Dr. Ebenezer Agyemang, the Chief Executive Officer of Ebenage Herbal Production and Consult, made the appeal on behalf of herbal medicine producers.

“I want to encourage the government that although they are supporting the herbal industry, we want to ask for more- that, they help us do more research, so we are able to produce medications that eventually we can confidently say that it is for the treatment of COVID-19. I think that will in addition to the general wellbeing drugs we produce, help us overcome this pandemic.”

Dr. Ebenezer Agyemang made the appeal after presenting 300 bottles of Hepa Plus mixture immune booster to frontline health workers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and representatives from the Ministry of Health urged the frontline health workers to take such drugs (immune boosters such as Hepa Plus mixture) to boost their immune system as the country’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise.