The inductees at the oath-swearing ceremony in Tamale
The Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) has held an induction and oath-swearing ceremony for 15,000 graduates at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Dungu campus in the Northern Region.
The ceremony, held under the theme “Setting the Standard: Regulating Service, Safety and Excellence across Universal Health Coverage,” brought together graduates from 12 allied health professions who are preparing to begin their internships.
The Registrar of the AHPC, Prof. Shirazu Issahaku, cautioned the inductees that they were not yet licensed professionals and should not present themselves as such.
“I want to be clear about what this induction means. You are transitioning from studentship to internship. You are not yet licensed professionals,” he stated.
He said universal health coverage requires people to be able to access the care they need and to receive care that is safe, competent and worthy of their trust.
“The Allied Health Professions Council has the duty to protect that trust,” he noted.
Prof. Issahaku said the Council had focused on inspections across the country this year to ensure compliance.
“Inspections help us assess whether requirements are being met, identify gaps and insist on the improvements needed to protect the public,” he added.
He assured the inductees that the Council would continue to set and enforce standards, and urged institutions to provide the conditions necessary for effective learning.
“As interns, you must bring humility, diligence and integrity to every assignment. That shared commitment is how service becomes a consistent expectation across healthcare,” he said.
The guest speaker, Dr. Abu Abudu Rahamani, urged the inductees to set high standards and serve as ambassadors for their professions.
“Go out there and set the standards—and set them high. Set them with courage, kindness and competence,” he stated.
The Minister of Health’s representative, Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno, Director of Allied Health at the Ministry of Health, urged the inductees to uphold their integrity and become trusted leaders in their work.
“Maintain uncompromising professional integrity, uphold truth and accuracy in your documentation, follow clinical protocols, report errors transparently and never falsify your data,” he said.
Dr. Awinibuno commended the AHPC and assured the Council of the Ministry’s commitment to working with it.
“The Ministry of Health recognises the contributions of the Allied Health Professions Council and remains committed to working with the Council to strengthen regulation, professional development, quality assurance and health service delivery,” he stressed.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale