President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Pharm. Dr. Samuel Kow Donkoh, has issued an urgent plea for the government to combat illegal mining activities, warning that the ongoing galamsey menace poses a significant threat to herbal medicines.
Speaking at the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Association in Kumasi today, he emphasized the devastating effects of the galamsey activities on public health, saying it is becoming increasingly expensive for them to treat water for their operations.
Dr. Samuel Kow Donkoh said the nation’s local production of medicines is being threatened by the galamsey activities, calling for urgent action against the menace since it may contribute to the high cost of medicines due to the devastating effect of illegal mining on their operations.
Pharm. Dr. Donkoh also underscored the effect of destruction caused to the forest reserves by illegal mining activities, stating that if care is not taken the medicinal plants in the forest will be depleted, threatening the herbal medicines of the nation.
He, therefore, called on the government to make bold decisions in fighting the menace, not leaving out the various political parties, urging them to make a firm commitment to ending the menace.
