The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons has urged the public to participate in its 15th Anniversary activities to be abreast of developments in the health sector.
On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, it will organise a public lecture on “Putting the ‘Heart’ Back into Healthcare: Quality Management and Ethical Practice”, at its premises at Ridge.
The event is expected to provide detailed enlightenment on the various efforts being made to address the health needs of the country.
Professor Anyetei Tonyeli Lassey, the President of the Ghana College of Physician and Surgeons, who announced the programme at a press soiree in Accra, said the public’s participation was crucial for feedback towards strengthening health care delivery.
He said there would be a Medical Outreach at Teshie Presbyterian Church Park on Saturday December 8, 2018 at 0900 hours, followed by pre-conferences by the various Departments of the College on the 10th and 11th, respectively.
He also invited the public to an open day to the College’s Museum of Medicine, which he said, was an important project aimed at providing a perspective to the evolution of modern medicine, from the practice of traditional remedies in Ghana.
Prof. Lassey said the official opening ceremony, would be held on December 12, 2018 at which the College would induct 144 newly Qualified Members (Specialists) and 17 Fellows (Senior Specialists).
He said College had been very successful in delivering on its mandate, and had as at September 2018, produced a total of 1046 Specialists in various specialities and 93 Consultant-eligible Senior Specialists.
This, he said, indicated that Ghana had presently trained in excess of 1000 Specialists to provide quality care for Ghanaians.
Prof. Lassey gave a brief history of the College since its inauguration in 2003, under Act 635, which was later replaced in 2011, by Act 833, with a mandate to promote Specialist Education in Medicine, Surgery and related Disciplines.
He said the College had since kept faith with its objectives and succeeded in promoting continuous professional development as well as research, contributed to policy formulation on sound health, and public health generally through diverse means, and also evidently minimised the challenges with medical brain-drain to the Western countries for greener pastures.
The College, he said, currently runs a three-year Membership (residency) Training Programme in all Faculties which qualified a doctor to practice as a Specialist, and also a further two to three years fellowship(senior Residency) Programme in all Faculties for Specialists , which also qualifies them as Senior Specialists and Consultant-Eligible.
Prof. Lassey explained that training in the College took place in accredited health institutions throughout the country, especially in Teaching, Regional and District Hospitals, as well as some qualified private facilities with the requisite human and physical resources for such services.
Prof. Jacob Plange-Rhule, the Rector of the College, said it had been fostering collaborations with other institutions with similar objectives, citing the Continuing Medical Education conferences dubbed: the “Medical Knowledge Fiesta” as some of the incentives to attract and retain its members.
