Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health, has called on Allied Health Professionals to judiciously utilise their skills and help ensure an improved healthcare regime in the society.

He said the service of Allied Health Professionals was one that could help Ghana achieve the Universal Health Coverage.

Dr Agyeman-Manu was speaking at the induction and oath-swearing ceremony of Allied Health Professionals by the Allied Health Professional Council in Accra.

The professionals numbered 691, comprising 45 Diuretics, 32 Diagnostic Radiographers, 98 Community Nutritionists, 410 Medical Laboratory Scientists, 8 Medical Physicians, 10 Occupational Therapists, 29 Doctor of Optometrists, 29 Physiotherapist and 30 Sonographers.

The professionals would be posted to the hospitals and health facilities as National Service Personnel for their internship.

The event was held under the theme: “The Case for a paradigm Shift in the Practice of Allied Health Professions in Ghana.”

He said Allied professionals in the country alone has over 15 professionals associations in the country and that government was working to place about 200 digital machines in hospitals nationwide to absorb some professionals to operate the equipment.

He said the Ministries of Health and Finance were working together to clear the backlog of health professionals by recruiting them into the system.



“About 16,000 nurses of the backlog have already being absorbed and we are now working to absorb the private bonded nurses.”

The Minister said Government was making serious investment in the health sector and this was to show President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo commitment to ensure every citizen has access to good healthcare.

“Next week President Akufo Addo would also launch the restoration of the nurses allowances at Sunyani in the Bring Ahafo Region.”

He urged all health professionals to be disciplined in their fields and accept postings to all areas across the country.

Dr Agyeman-Many said the Ministry of Health would soon put a ban on the use of mobile phones in the hospitals and other facilities and health training institutions.

Dr Nsiah Asare, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service and Chairman of the event, said Ghana is currently practising the use of Information Communication Technology to deliver healthcare and that was being done through Tele-Consultation, Tele-Medicine and other technology fields.

He appealed to the Ministry of Health to share the financial clearance of recruitment among areas where the service of health professionals were needed.

This, he said, would encourage professionals to work in all areas as they will be applying for their work in the areas or districts where their services were needed.

Dr Samuel Yaw Opoku, Acting Registrar of the Allied Health Professions Council, said it was obvious that being a health professional today is a very tall order, given that human health and its related issues have undergone tremendous changes.

He said there has been remarkable technological advancement in healthcare delivery and this will change with time.

The introduction of Allied Health Professions Council of Ghana is Statutory Regulatory Body established by an Act of Parliament, the “Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act of 2013, (Act 857) Part 1”.