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On Saturday, 29h October, 2022, 461 newly certified medical and dental officers had been inducted into the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) of Ghana on the Accra Inside Convention Centre. They had been merchandise of the College of Ghana, Accra, Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Expertise (KNUST), Kumasi, the College for Improvement Research (UDS), Tamale and medical/dental officers skilled abroad.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST and a lot of dignitaries from different universities graced the event.
In her tackle, a degree passionately made by the chairperson and member of the Board, Dr Constance Addo-Yobo and re-echoed by the Visitor-of-Honour is the title of this text;
“Please don’t go away us for greener pastures!”
The brand new medical doctors had been additionally advised to not refuse postings to the districts, as going there affords them the chance to study quick whereas being of service to those that want it most.
So, who took us to the Convention Centre? “Dr Fiifi” did!
Earlier than that, why the passionate enchantment by each the Chairperson and the Visitor-of-Honour to the younger medical doctors to not go away Ghana?
Physician to affected person Ratio
A quote attributed to the Minister of Well being within the Wednesday, sixteenth June, 2021 version of Each day Information Community states;
“Physician-population ratio (in Ghana) improved persistently during the last 5 years (2016-2020) from 1: 9,301 to 1: 6,355. Nevertheless, this enchancment falls wanting the WHO commonplace of 1: 1,000.”
On twenty fifth February 2022, The Ghana Information Company (GNA) said “the physician affected person ratio retains widening within the Northern Area as statistics from the Ghana Well being Service reveals doctor-patient ratio within the area has elevated from 1: 8,859 in 2020 to 1: 10,901 in 2021.”
On fifth August 2022, the Ghanaian Instances said “the doctor-patient ratio in Bono East has worsened from 1: 18,287 in 2020 to 1: 20,2021, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Bono East Regional Director of Well being Providers, has revealed!”
With these quite alarming statistics, is it any surprise that the chairperson, herself a well being practitioner, appealed to the younger medical doctors to not go away Ghana for greener pasture for nations which have already got excellent doctor-patient ratios of round 1: 400?
She added sadly that, the majority of Ghana’s medical doctors are concentrated in Accra-Tema and Kumasi with only a few medical doctors within the districts. She suggested the younger medical doctors to simply accept postings to the districts.
FHUC
It’s towards this backdrop of paucity of medical doctors in Ghana that the contribution of Ghana’s first personal Medical Faculty, the Household Well being College Medical Faculty, Teshie is commendable. Based by Professor Enyonam Kwawukume and Dr (Mrs) Susu Kwawukume, the primary batch of 30 medical doctors was inducted into the Medical and Dental Council in 2020. The second batch of 54 medical doctors was inducted in 2021.
Sharing their experiences on Pleasure TV in the course of the week, Dr Roseline Okoro of the 2020 class and Dr Simon Sackitey of the Class of 2021 gave very attention-grabbing accounts of their coaching, and gratitude to Household Well being Medical Faculty for shaping them into the caliber of medical doctors they’re.
So, again to Fiifi!
Fiifi
In 2011, whereas on responsibility exterior Ghana, my “Supervisor,” in a phone chat with me stated, “Dan, you’ll return residence to fulfill a brand new son in our home.”
The brand new son I met on my arrival was Fiifi, a JSS One pupil of the Providers Main Faculty, Burma Camp. Fiifi’s mother and father lived at Kasoa. The every day commute along with his mom who labored/works at Burma Camp was taking its toll on Fiifi. This was when the Kaneshie-Kasoa street was being reconstructed.
Arriving residence late, they needed to stand up round 4am to prepare for the journey to Burma Camp, typically arriving late.
It’s on the idea of this that my “Supervisor” who labored in the identical workplace with Fiifi’s mom determined that, he may come and reside with us at Burma Camp.
After his secondary schooling at Mfantsipim Faculty, Fiifi was admitted at KNUST as a medical scholar. He was one of many 461 medical/dental medical doctors inducted into the Medical and Dental Council on twenty ninth October 2022.
Induction
For his or her induction, every new physician was allowed just one invited visitor into the Convention Centre for the ceremony. So, even for folks, just one was allowed inside. All different relations waited on the lawns exterior. Fiifi was graduating with a Rwandese pal whose mother and father couldn’t fly down. Fiifi’s father thus had two tickets.
The couple determined the second ticket would come to me. All my protestations that the ticket ought to go to Fiifi’s mom as a guardian, had been overruled by the couple, despite our democratic dispensation. Their choice was that the 2 males would assist Fiifi and his Rwandese pal within the Convention Corridor whereas the women waited exterior for us.
The spotlight of the induction was when all of the medical doctors wore their white coats with their names proudly embossed on their chests, and took the Hippocratic Oath. There was a 15-minutes dancing session the place the auditorium turned a dancing ground for everybody. Music was offered by the Current King Youth Choir which regaled us with stunning gospel music as we danced fortunately to the glory of God.
Dialogue
Whereas I endorse the decision by the Chairperson for the younger medical doctors to simply accept postings to the districts, I recalled my November 2016 article titled
“From Ghana? Why did Dr Serebour ship you right here?”
This was a query requested a colleague when he went abroad for a coronary heart surgical procedure within the hospital Dr Serebour of the Cardio-Thoracic Centre, Korle Bu skilled! On his return residence, he advised Dr Serebour in regards to the incident. Sure, the physician confirmed, and defined that, a lot as the talents to carry out the surgical procedure had been/can be found in Ghana, the tools to take action was unavailable, therefore the referral abroad!
Docs have complained, after helplessly seeing sufferers die needlessly due to lack of apparatus, they’re compelled to go away the nation as a result of those that ought to care, don’t. They don’t as a result of they are often flown exterior for the perfect of care in the perfect of hospitals!
In any case, who would need to serve the place along with rudimentary water/electrical energy provide, good colleges for his or her kids are unavailable, sixty-five years after independence?
For our rulers, once more bear in mind the quote by President Kennedy that,
“If a civilized society can not care for the various who’re poor, it can not save the few who’re wealthy.”
To Drs Fiifi, Akosua, Julius and their colleagues the 461 new medical/dental medical doctors who took the Hippocratic Oath on Saturday, twenty ninth October 2022, CONGRATULATIONS!
Your induction into the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana is barely the start of an extended profession forward! Keep in mind, individuals will come to you solely when they’re unwell and at their lowest. Be principled medical doctors and deal with your sufferers with dignity, respect and humility!
Management, lead!
Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!
Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)
Former CEO, African Peace Assist Trainers Affiliation
Nairobi, Kenya
Council Chairman
Household Well being College Faculty
Accra
Supply: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd), Former CEO, African Peace Assist Trainers Affiliation, Nairobi, Kenya
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