Speech by Hon. Minister of Defence

SPEECH BY HON. DR. KWAME ADDO-KUFUOR, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY FOR NEW DOCTORS AT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF THE KUST IN KUMASI ON FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2003

I feel greatly honoured to be part of this swearing-in-ceremony. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the graduates for successfully completing a rather difficult and often stressful course. I also wish the newly qualified doctors success as they enter a great profession esteemed from ancient times to the present generation.

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, though this morning’s ceremony is a joyous occasion, it also provides us with the opportunity of taking stock and reviewing the health sector and the numerous problems which confront the health professionals. In spite of the great effort by Government to solve some of these problems, health professionals in this country still face many difficulties. As you are probably aware, government efforts have resulted in the provision of means of transport, additional duty allowances, improved post qualification training facilities – both at the West African College level and the soon to be established Post Graduate College in Ghana; the proposed mortgage loans for health professional, the establishment of the various health insurance schemes and the rehabilitation and completion of the various health facilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, despite all this, we continue to lose our health professionals who seek greener pastures elsewhere. Yesterday’s Daily Graphic – No 148988 – “Crisis hits Korle-Bu- Lack of Nurses forces closure of emergency section of Child Health Department. The plain truth is that Ghana, a HIPC developing country, cannot match the attractive pay and conditions of service offered by the more affluent countries to which our doctors, nurses and other health professional move when they turn their backs on this country. Available statistics indicate that between 1993 and 2002, Ghana lost 630 Medical Doctors, 410 Pharmacists 83 Laboratory Technicians and 11,325 Nurses (including auxiliaries). For the year 2002 alone we have the following staggering statistics to content with a – a loss of 70 doctors, 77 pharmacists, and 214 nurses. From all indications, the problem is assuming alarming proportions as indicated by yesterday’s Graphic banner headline. The issue of medical brain drain is a major concern to the government and people of this country and at the beginning of your career, I urge you, as newly qualified doctors to give some thought to the problem. The newly qualified Doctors should ask himself or herself whether the poor farmers and fisher folk, the lowly paid workers, their families and dependants, etc from whose taxes you have been able to acquire quality training as a doctor – will get value for their investment in your education? If the answer is no, then the taxpayer is getting a raw deal.

Mr. Chairman, perhaps the time has come for the district assemblies and other stakeholders to sponsor students through the medical schools and also through post graduate professional courses in return for dedicated service to the people and institutions which sponsored their professional development. Managers of the various health insurance schemes should also make provision not only for professional career development of the health professionals they engage but also to ensure that they enjoy satisfactory conditions of service to make them happy to remain in Ghana. After all, without contented service providers there can be no successful health insurance schemes.

Mr. Chairman, now a word of advice to the newly qualified doctors. Apart from your general responsibilities to society as highly educated professionals, there are two groups of people whose cooperation you will especially need if you are to succeed in the professional career you have chosen – your patients and your professional colleagues. In the world of commerce, the accepted wisdom is that the customer is always right. In medical practice, this may not be the case but it is very important to treat your patients with great respect and consideration if you are to earn their trust. Your social standing and general well being (and I hesitate to use the phrase financial well-being) will to a large extent also be determined by this relationship. With regard to your colleagues, you must remember that they are your colleagues for life, and a good relationship with them will greatly facilitate professional and other interactions.

Finally Mr. Chairman, I would like to express the appreciation of government to professors, lecturers and other workers at KNUST School of Medical Sciences for maintaining such high standards in the training of doctors and the maintenance of the lofty traditions of the medical profession.

Once again, I wish the new graduands every success in their future professional careers.

Thank you for your attention.