A section of the health professionals
THE DEPUTY Registrar of Allied Health Professions Council, Daniel Atta Nyarko, has called for the establishment of an Allied Health College to provide an opportunity for individuals seeking to develop themselves professionally and specialise in various disciplines to do that to offer the needed care to people.
Atta Nyarko also wants the Ministry of Health to consider reinstating the six-year allied health professionals doctorate programme.
Speaking at the induction and oath-swearing ceremony for qualified allied graduates on Friday, the Registrar appealed for support from the Ministry of Health for the Council’s bid to phase out the current four-year bachelors programmes and replace it with the six-year professional doctorates.
“It is significant to note that Ghana government through the Ministry of Health has approved these programmed developed by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO),” he said.
The ceremony, which was under the theme: “Improving Access to Quality Healthcare: Role of the Allied Health Profession,” saw 1008 professionals graduating from various health science disciplines.
He expressed worry about the infiltration of quacks who have invaded the health delivery system and called on the general public to immediately report to the council any suspicious activities of people who pose as allied health professionals for the necessary action to be taken against them.
“The harm being committed by these people cannot be underestimated. The Council with the total support of the Governing Board and Health Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Health have been trying to weed out the charlatans from the society,” he bemoaned.
Unfortunately, he disclosed that the expected support from law enforcement agencies have not helped much to deal with the issue, disclosing that, several cases reported to the police across the country appear dead for lack of prosecution.
He appealed for the necessary support to fight the problem by swiftly dealing with the offenders to protect the unsuspecting members of the society from criminals.
Mr. Atta Nyarko urged the newly qualified graduates to endeavor to limit the use of strike actions and picketing as means to getting their grievances resolved.
Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, whose speech was read by Dorcas Baidoo from the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), urged the graduates to accept postings to all districts within the country to deliver their services to the citizenry.
She added that government was committed to improving the health needs of the people, adding that it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to partner the government to make health care delivery available and accessible to all citizens.
Ms. Baidoo advised them to employ dialogue in engaging government through their various bodies over grievances, rather than resorting to strike actions.
Chairman for the occasion, Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, Chief of Nkwantakese, advised the graduates to give the needed respect to the other health professional who were already on the field.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi