Ghana Health Service to deal with erring doctors

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said it would not countenance any action or practices by medical doctors likely to impact negatively on quality healthcare delivery in the country.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the Director-General, said that it was quite worrying that some public sector doctors and dentists, who are on full time appointment by the government, have in recent times developed the penchant for spending part of their official working hours to work in private health facilities.

“Some of these medical and dental practitioners even go to the extent of referring patients to their private facilities”, he said stressing that the GHS was taking the necessary steps to stem such unethical conduct.

Dr Nsiah-Asare, who was addressing an oath-swearing and induction ceremony for the School of Medical Sciences, Dental School and the School of Veterinary Medicine of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), cautioned practitioners to uphold the code of conduct of the medical profession.

He said doctors and dentists who are keen to work in private practice could team up with colleagues with the similar desires to establish private health facilities in order to work as full time private practitioners in needy and deprived communities.

The ceremony was held under the joint supervision of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council and Veterinary Council of Ghana, and had a total of 241 newly-qualified doctors, including dental and veterinary surgeons, taking the Hippocratic Oath.

Dr Andrew Bremang of the School of Veterinary Medicine swept a total of ten awards, including the ‘Dr William Blankson Amanfu Prize for the Best Student in Infectious Diseases’, ‘Dr Andrew Quarcoopome Prize for the Overall Best Student in the DVM programme’, and ‘Dean’s Prize for the Overall Best Student in the DVM Programme’.

Other award-winners were Dr Obed Owusu Yeboah, also of the same School, who received a total of nine awards, as well as Dr Abigail Omani and Dr Boniface Mensah, all of the School of Medical Sciences, who claimed four prizes each.

The University has since 1982 produced about 1, 500 medical doctors to improve medical care in the country.

The GHS Director-General lauded the graduating doctors and dentists for successfully undergoing their training, and advised them to be committed to duty.

Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, Provost of the KNUST College of Health Sciences, reminded the doctors of their core mandate in the healthcare delivery system, urging them not to refuse postings to deprived communities.

“The knowledge and skills you have acquired make it possible for you to work in any part of the country irrespective of the conditions”, he said.

Prof Agbenyega urged them to uphold the Hippocratic Oath in their practice at all times, saying it behooves them to be disciplined, committed and sympathetic to the cause of their patients.

They should not do anything untoward in order to avoid medico-legal suits.