A total of two hundred and ninety- two newly qualified Doctors and Dentists have been inducted by the Medical and Dental Council in Accra.

This is to augment the current strength of about 7, 405 doctors and dentists serving in various parts of the country.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benard Oko Boye, in an address during the induction ceremony touched on the negative reportage and attitude the medical profession has been hit with recently.

He said in keeping with the high regard that society accords to healthcare professionals; the society rightly expects a correspondingly high standard of professionalism and conduct.

“Regrettably, often the allure of specialised knowledge and success, if not properly managed, tend to result in bloated egos or inconsiderate conduct.”

The deputy minister of health maintained that recent media reportage is replete with claims of professional negligence, improper conduct and unethical behaviour by our doctors, dentists, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists.

He continued that “the very people who openly swore the Hippocratic Oath and committed themselves to serve us in our most vulnerable states- are now our abusers.

Adding that, “This is the situation is unacceptable and must stop.”

He however congratulated all frontline health workers who have been at the forefront of the response in this Covid-19 pandemic.

On behalf of the government, the Deputy Minister of Health conveyed his condolences to the Ghana medical association(GMA) and the families of all the medical practitioners as well as other health professionals who paid the ultimate price in their line of duty.

“The Government is committed to ensuring that you are well protected by the continuous provision of the necessary PPEs and by fulfilling its promise of providing incentive packages for health workers.”

Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, Acting Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council in a statement said the Medical and Dental Council is a statutory agency under the Ministry of Health with the responsibility for the professional regulation of Doctors, Dentists, and Physician Assistants in Ghana.

He said inductees were drawn from the University Of Ghana Medical School, The University Of Ghana Dental School, As Well As Universities In Cuba, China, Ukraine and Russia,
“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.”
Adding he revealed that in the past the Medical and Dental Council merely registered practitioners and gave them registration numbers.

However, the acting registrar noted that, due to the rapidly changing nature of science, medicine, and technology as well as the changing professional regulatory landscape, Council now ensures that your registration on the Provisional Register involves the open declaration of your commitment to the profession, science, and the society.