Management of the Eastern Regional Hospital also known as Central Hospital in Koforidua has instituted a quiz competition amongst the hospital's in-house doctors to build their capacities and offer them on-the-job training.

The aim of the hospital's management to initiate the quiz was to update their medical and social knowledge to enable them to be holistic in planning their work.

At the end of the competition, the internal medicine group emerged as the winner followed by the gynecology department with the surgical department settling for the third position.

Clinical Director and Senior Surgeon at the facility, Dr. Foster Amponsah Manu who initiated the competition among the doctors said the quiz has come to stay, adding that it would be expanded to cover all departments in the facility and not just doctors.

Foster Amponsah Manu expressing satisfaction that the aim of the competition to enlighten the doctors aside from working had been achieved, said the contest enabled them to update their knowledge.

Describing the event as “very insightful,” he said aside from medical knowledge, medical practitioners also require social knowledge to broaden their horizons.

“Apart from the medical knowledge, you also need to have social knowledge to be a holistic person and not just be a parochial or narrow-minded doctor,” he emphasized.

According to him, the competition also ensured a spirit of camaraderie amongst colleague doctors which he emphasized enhances unity amongst all departments.

The medical practitioner said the event would be expanded in the future with more diverse questions and other departments such as nurses being factored into the competition.

One of the house officers who partook in the competition, Dr. Isaac Yeboah Kwame said the platform offered them an opportunity to acquire further knowledge.

“We’re happy as house officers because this is a platform for us to learn, even though it’s a competition, we’ve learned something from participating,” he said.

He encouraged other housekeepers across the country to adopt similar initiatives as it would offer them the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge.

Underscoring the need for doctors to continue to study, he said, “The doctor profession is like a carpenter, the apprentice needs to learn regularly, and the doctor or physician also needs to learn because diseases are also mutating into other forms.”

Also describing the initiative as good, Dr. Abena Amponsah, another participant also noted that the competition enhanced the knowledge of the doctors.