LACK of medical specialists commensurate with the prevailing population in the country is affecting quality health delivery, the Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Prof. Richard Adanu, has said.
According to him, the few medical specialists in the system were only concentrated at some centres to the detriment of the rest of the country, especially rural communities.
He also said that medical personnel who came to the college to specialise were opting for areas such as surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, while few went in for radiotherapy, medical laboratory and other areas.
“But we need many people to specialise so that we can meet the health needs of the people,” the rector added.
Prof. Adanu was answering questions from journalists on the challenges of specialist training for medical doctors during a press soiree organised by the college as part of activities marking its 20th anniversary celebrations in Accra.
Collaboration
The rector said that the college was working with relevant stakeholders to come up with initiatives that would create a faster route for medical doctors to specialise in areas he claimed some of them were avoiding.
The initiatives include helping doctors to begin the programme right after they had finished with their housemanship training.
He further said that the level of equipment available in the country’s public hospitals was not helping in the training of specialists.
“In a speciality like radiology, you get residents who sometimes have to do rotation in the MRI or CT scan room, and sometimes the MRI machine might not work throughout the period of attachment of resident doctors,” Prof. Adanu said.
He said the college was, therefore, collaborating with semi-private institutions such as the National Maritime Hospital and the Bank Hospital to use their modern equipment to train doctors in some specialist areas.
The immediate past President of the college, Dr John Nkrumah-Mills, said the establishment of the college in 2003 by an Act of Parliament was timely because it slowed down the brain drain of doctors from the country.
According to him, postgraduate training for doctors was one of the main reasons doctors were leaving the country, adding that so far, the college had produced 1,690 specialist doctors and 200 Fellows.
“I believe we must celebrate these excellent achievements.” he said.
Activities
The Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, Dr Justina Ansah, mentioned activities lined up for the anniversary to include public lectures, a fundraising dinner in Accra, health screening exercises and a health walk in Accra and Kumasi.
The rest are museum exhibition, poster presentations/exhibition and thanksgiving services in Accra and Kumasi.
The first rector of the college, Prof. Paul Nyame, commended all those who contributed and supported the construction of the building for the college.
Credit: Graphic Online
