Kumasi, Aug. 07, GNA - The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) has said the role of medical officer is crucial in health delivery and has therefore suggested to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to ensure that qualified medical officers manned health institutions.

It also advocated that Health Facilities Regulatory Agency was also important in the regulation of operations of health facilities in Ghana and that its Board should be headed by medical doctor and a representative from the Society.

These were contained in a communiqu=E9 issued by the Society and signed by the National Chairman, Dr Edward Prempeh at the end of its 28th annual general conference held in Kumasi at the weekend on the theme, "Environment, Health and Sanitation".

The communiqu=E9 expressed concern about the destruction of the environment and the level of sanitation, which had direct effect on health, particularly on the six childhood killer diseases. It said sanitation started from home, where many factors like housing type, income and education levels, family size, culture and attitude affected the immediate environment and health, especially of children.

The Society therefore, called for involvement of all health care providers to help promote good environmental management and sanitary attitudes, which would have positive impact on health.

The communiqu=E9 appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency, Town and Country Planning Department, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and other stakeholders to assist in the management of sanitation of the environment to ensure good health care.

It added the key role of private medical practitioners in understanding and partnering with various agencies for implementing solutions to issues that affected environment, sanitation and health. The Society appealed to Parliament to pass the Health Institutions and Facilities Bill to promote the welfare of medical practitioners and health personnel in general.

It assured its commitment to embark on sanitation outreach programmes to help sensitise the public on the need to ensure proper environmental cleanliness in their homes. "We commit to play an advocacy role as a Society on issues concerning the environment sanitation and health", it added. It further called on the government and organisations to provide adequate funds to help address problems associated with environmental degradation. 7 Aug. 06