The 16th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), opened yesterday in Accra, with a call on physicians to live by their professional oath and eschew unethical practices.
The AGSM, which among others took stock of the progress and challenges of the college in the review of activities of this year, saw the induction of 167 new members and 47 fellows into the College.
It was held on the theme: “Disability: Health and Socio-Economic”, to reflect on the correlation between disability, health and socio-economic growth.”
Addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day meeting, the Deputy Minister of Health, Alexander Kom Abban, bemoaned the practice where doctors in public health facilities refer patients to private facilities and later meet the clients in those facilities for their own private financial gains.
The practice according to him must stop adding ‘It is high time we serve our people with diligence and dedication.’
Mr Abban, who assured of government’s commitment to see to it that financial obligations of residents to the College were covered, pleaded with the medical practitioners to stay in the country and contribute their quota to the healthcare delivery system.
“You have been provided with skills in this environment and we trust that you will strive to use those skills here. I entreat you to accept postings to rural areas of this country that need your services the most,” he urged.
Mr Abban called on the college to provide inputs for a review of the National Disability Policy, which was to ensure that by 2020, Persons with Disability (PWD) received equal opportunities in development processes to improve their quality of life.
He called on the college to develop a programme to provide appropriate inputs into the review of the on-going National Disability Policy because “the college is endowed with specialists, who have the technical knowledge and information that aspects of the policy require.”
The Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Parish Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church, said he was saddened that little action was taken to back talks of ensuring inclusiveness of PWDs in the Ghanaian society.
“Thirteen years after passage of the Disability Policy with all the merry making, the plight of PWDs largely remained unchanged. We need to turn good intentions into practical actions to improve the life of vulnerable persons in the society”, he said.
Rev. Fr Campbell, who is also Chair of the Lepers Aid Committee, could not fathom why vulnerable groups such as cured lepers, prisoners and others still received a daily stipend of GHc 1.00 which was woefully inadequate for feeding.
“We need to take more actions and less talk and accord PWDs with the dignity they need to lead meaningful lives,” he advised.
The Rector of GCPS, Professor Jacob Plange-Rhule, allayed fears over the pulling down of the College building for the construction of the National Cathedral, and explained that the college building was safe and would not in any way be affected by construction works.
He also appealed to government to expedite action on a more efficient and sustainable arrangement for funding of residency training in the College.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
