New Building for GMA inaugurated

Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - A three-billion cedis building for the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) was on Wednesday inaugurated in Accra The building, which is situated on the premises of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, was financed with the monthly dues of members. It has a library, a conference room and offices for the Executives. Inaugurating it, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, reiterated the need for measures to be instituted to stem the mass exodus of health professional.

He said because the country's economy was not able to offer pay and condition of service similar to those of more prosperous countries it tended to lose qualified medical officers soon after their graduation. He said health professionals should not abuse the advantage of the quality of training and heavily subsidised medical education with the taxpayer's money and bolt instead of staying to serve their poor countrymen.

Dr Addo Kufuor, who was a past president of GMA, said though patriotic sentiment alone could not retain badly paid, over-worked and frustrated health professionals it did not call for such mass exodus that had affected service delivery.

He said the Government appreciated the hard work, dedication and numerous sacrifices made by the health workers and was making all efforts to improve their conditions of service through the offer of a better salary, provision of vehicles, accommodation and career development opportunities.

He commended GMA for the support and cooperation given to Government on the issue of the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, which when fully implemented would have a positive impact on the conditions of service of health professional and on the patients.

Dr Joseph Plange Rhule, President of GMA, said the Leadership of the Association had realised the need for a bigger complex with more facilities such as bookshop, accommodation, conference and sports facilities. To this end, it had acquired and paid for a land behind Secaps Hotel at Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout for a new office complex.