In a speech read on his behalf by a deputy Minister of Health, Mahama Asei Seini, the sector Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said it was unacceptable for practitioners who swore oaths to commit themselves to the service of the most vulnerable to be abusive.

He added that claims of professional negligence, improper conduct and unethical behaviour by the country’s medical professionals dominated recent media reports, hence the need to be reminded of their oath to ensure the highest standards in the profession.

“In keeping with the high regard that society accords to healthcare professionals, the society rightly expects a correspondingly high standards of professionalism and conduct” he added.

The medical and dental practitioners, whose induction ceremony took place at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra last Saturday, will augment the current strength of more than 12,000 doctors and dentists serving in various parts of the country.

The inductees included those who had completed their medical studies from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, Accra College of Medicine and foreign trained doctors who passed the council’s registration examination.

Commitment

Mr Agyeman-Manu said the government was committed to ensuring that citizens had access to quality healthcare services.

In line with that, he said, the government had, among others, institutionalised quality standards and practices in the delivery of healthcare services and increased access to responsive clinical and public healthcare emergency services.

He commended the council for deciding to redesign, restructure and harmonise curricula of medical and dental training schools in the country with emphasis on accounting ethics, research and entrepreneur skills, among others.

Mr Agyeman-Manu called on all stakeholders, especially the Health Partner, to support the advancement of the quality of medical and dental training and practice for the collective good of the country.

“The ministry looks forward to a long working relationship with these newly qualified doctors and dentists but they must remember the Oath they took today, the pre-induction lectures in medical professionalism and conduct, professional ethics and medical jurisprudence that council organised for them and serve our people with diligence, integrity, dedication and respect.

“They must not forget their faith and I am certain that God will more than meet their needs,” he added.

Transition

The Registrar of the Council, Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, said the inductees’ transition from yesterday's students to professionals implied that human lives were now being directly entrusted in their care, adding, “what this means is that from now a greater responsibility in the care of the patients will be laid at your feet as you take the role of frontline professionals.

“This role literally includes the responsibility to decide between life and death,” he said.

He noted that the inductees would be eligible for permanent registration only after they had met the pre-registration standards of the profession.