Georgetown: The Management Board of Guyana Association of Alternative Medicine(GAAM) has expressed their concern over the misconduct and malpractices of so-called self-declared/ self-certified/self-evaluated “Herbalists” who continue to endanger the health and lives of innocent people who are anxious to find remedies/cures for ailments that affect their health and well-being, which conventional medicine cannot adequately and successfully address.
“Moreover, we are appalled at the cost of such treatment by these “Herbalists” who continue to prey on unsuspecting victims, observing that there are no regulatory frameworks and mechanisms to control the practice of Guyanese traditional alternative andmedicine.” The organisation noted
GAAM further noted that the organization in a proposal letter dated 3rd August,2006 to former Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, to have the professional body undertake the following: Seek to register all practitioners, Access their credentials, Provide a testing/certifying methodology “to be certified”, Act as a “Self-regulatory Organization”, Provide Members’ Certificates/Diplomas/Qualifications/etc to the Ministry of Health, Ensure that Members adhere to a strict code of ethics, provide full disclosure of their activities, are “certified by GAAM” and are censured by GAAM disciplinary committee.
“Subsequently, GAAM submitted its proposals to the Special Select Committee on the Allied Health Professions Bill- Bill#15 of 2009 and our President, Dr Iamei Aowmathi, made an oral presentation on Wednesday, 5th August, 2009 before the said Committee. To date, GAAM has not heard anything further on this matter and the legal and regulatory framework for health professionals are in the twilight zone even as we continue to experience serious problems with the practice of “Herbalists”,” the herbal body underscored. “These infractions/problems/etc could have been prevented had the necessary action to regulate the practice of herbal and alternative medicine with the professional assistance/guidance of GAAM been implemented.”
Further, GAAM established the Guyana Association for Alternative Medicine Institute (GAAMI) in September, 2009 as its education and training arm. GAAMI is registered with the National Accreditation Council Guyana, works in partnership with Adult Education Association of Guyana and The School of Naturopathy of Zurich Switzerland, and currently facilitates three alternative medicine programs: Herbal Vendors Course (1 Year), Healing Practitioner’s Diploma (2 Years), and Healing Practitioner’s Advanced Diploma (3 Years).
Shortly, GAAMI will graduate the first batch of students who have successfully completed the Healing Practitioner’s Diploma. Among the registered professional members of GAAM are experienced alternative medicine practitioners Dr Joseph Haynes, Dr Egbert Peters and Dr Iamei Aowmathi of the Bakja Health Movement which is the only In-Patient and Out-Patient Traditional and Alternative Medicine Health Clinic in Guyana and possibly in the Caribbean.
GAAM stands ready to provide timely and relevant assistance to the Ministry of Health and its regulatory agencies to bring herbal and alternative medicine practitioners in line with the law. Some of the blame for what is happening should be put at the door of the Ministry of Health which has consistently ignored the existence and work of GAAM over time.
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