Medical Assistants hold annual general meeting

Sunyani, Oct. 5, GNA - Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, on Wednesday called for a stronger collaboration, mutual trust and understanding between medical assistants, scheme managers and members of the public to ensure the successful implementation of the national health insurance scheme.

He said medical assistants, in particular, should exhibit high leadership qualities and to effect a positive change in the work attitudes of subordinates to help achieve the objectives of the scheme. Mr Baffour-Awuah was speaking at the opening of the fifth annual general meeting of the Ghana Medical Assistants Association, which was organised under the theme: "Implementation of The National Health Insurance Scheme - Challenges To The Medical Assistant".

The Regional Minister called on medical assistants and all other health workers to ensure strict adherence to environmental hygiene in communities to prevent the incidence of common diseases, especially malaria.

"It is the aim of government to create wealth through health. This laudable aim would remain a dream if we fail to fight problems of poor environmental sanitation and other attendant problems like malaria, which has remained the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in all regions of the country", he said.

Mr Baffour-Awuah urged the medical assistants to forge a strong collaboration with the Assemblies and other local stakeholders and step up sustainable public education on health literacy, especially on sanitation and lifestyles.

Mr. Ralph Dagoe, President of the Association, urged members to avoid letting personal interests to override the association's aims since that could affect the smooth implementation of the scheme. He decried the low number of medical assistants in the country, saying there were only a little more than 400 of them and appealed to the government to increase the number of medical assistant training schools from three to five to ensure the training of more of such specialists.

Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, Director-General of Ghana Health Service, who delivered the keynote address, appealed to medical assistants and other health professionals to upgrade themselves to meet challenges of the medical profession.

He urged them to use their position to influence District Chief Executives and District Directors of Health Services in decision-making. Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Health, urged the medical assistants to attach a human face in the implementation of the national health scheme.

He appealed to them to help educate the public on the provision of the new health policy paradigm, which puts emphasis on rest, recreation, good environment, healthy lifestyle and exercise.

The Minister said the Ministry would soon launch a regenerative health nutrition project to sensitise people on the need to stay healthy. 06 Oct. 06