Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor has charged newly qualified medical doctors from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to make God their partners in their practice.

Addressing the first batch of final year medical students of the university, Dr Addo-Kufuor said “my personal experience as a Christian doctor practising for almost four and a half decades, I can testify it is God’s blessing that makes success in any human endeavour possible.”

The occasion was under the theme: “Fundamental Factors And Guiding Principles Leading To A Successful Life In Practice.”

He also highlighted that, as believers in the medical profession, the new doctors should not forget to pray regularly and ask God to bless their work as doctors adding “you will need God as partners.”

The function, which took place last Saturday at Elmina’s Coconut Grove Resort, was a spectacular event during which the graduates had the rare opportunity of listening to wise remarks from a personality like Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor whose public office service was sufficiently documented.

He told his audience many human factors such as high level of integrity, humane disposition, modesty, sense of responsibility, efforts at continuing professional education, developing a good relationship with colleagues, patients and the society at large were the very success determiners in one’s career.

He pointed out to the qualified medical doctors to strive to maintain decency, be knowledgeable, respectable and be helpful to human beings, which the general public expected from them. “The best example of what I am talking to you about is the almost automatic discount given to doctors when they go to insurance companies to register their cars,” he said.

Again, he cautioned, “You must decide early in your career the area of your specialization. Fortunately, we have a Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and many excellent residency programmes in the teaching hospitals in Ghana.”

He charged the doctors to remain in Ghana, and through the residency programmes, obtain the fellowship diploma in the area of their specialization.

Many Ghanaians he said were better educated had access to the internet and well informed about the medical conditions for which they contacted the doctor for treatment. In view of this, therefore, he went on, “The young doctor must, therefore, be well informed, current, and competent. Such a doctor is respected and trusted by his colleagues and his or her services are sought after by the patients.”

Dr Addo-Kufuor, a former Defence Minister with oversight responsibility for the Interior Ministry is associated with the School of Medical Sciences, KNUST since 1986 as a lecturer in Internal Medicine. To his credit is the Addo-Kufuor Prize for the best student in internal medicine, which is awarded every year during the oath-swearing ceremony.