The Medical and Dental Council of Ghana (MDC) has sounded the alarm over the growing menace of quackery, describing it as one of the most serious threats to the country’s healthcare system.

Between 2024 and the third quarter of 2025, four individuals were arrested for practising medicine without licences.

The suspects — Kate Baidoo of Osag Medical Centre (Nsakena), Ebenezer Koomson of E & E Medical Centre (Gomoa Afransi), Innocent Tagbovi of Mighty Clinic (Madina), and Ebenezer Sarpong of Goodcare Medical Centre (Swalaba Bukom) — were caught during undercover operations between September 2024 and August 2025. Several other cases are under investigation and are expected to be prosecuted.

The Council also uncovered incidents where individuals submitted forged academic certificates in attempts to gain authorisation to practise medicine in Ghana.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, Registrar of the MDC, said the problem was widespread, cutting across various regions and healthcare-related fields.

He stressed that the Council remains committed to confronting the menace head-on.

To restore public confidence, Dr. Banyubala announced that the MDC, in partnership with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), will roll out a practitioner name tag and stamp policy by 2026.

The system will require all healthcare providers to display official identification showing their names, photographs, and professional designations.

“Detecting quackery is very difficult,” Dr. Banyubala explained. “That is why we are working with the NHIA to ensure that any professional in a healthcare setting is properly tagged.

The aim is to reduce patient confusion, since not everyone in a hospital environment is a medical doctor.”

The Council believes the initiative will not only curb quack practices but also protect patients’ safety and enhance trust in Ghana’s healthcare system.