PRIVATE HEALTH PERSONNEL URGED TO EXPOSE QUACK DOCTORS (PAGE 31)

Story: Abdul Aziz

Private medical practitioners have been called upon to improve their image by helping to expose the quacks among them.
Dr Edward Abbah-Foli, the Chairman of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners who made the call, urged private practitioners to belong to the society in order that its disciplinary committee could correct improper professional practice.
Dr Abbah-Foli, who was speaking at the launch of the 40th anniversary of the society in Accra on Tuesday, said a recent study by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) showed that private medical practitioners attended to the medical needs of about 30 to 35 per cent of the population.
He said the number of people attending private clinics and hospitals was so high that they could not allow quack doctors whose main desire was to make money to toy with the lives of patients.
He said the challenge facing health delivery in the country was that it was becoming difficult by the day to find replacement for ageing doctors, as younger doctors were still leaving the shores of the country in search of greener pastures.
The chairman said as its contribution towards curbing the brain drain in the country, the society was engaged on a pilot project to construct 40 new hospitals and clinics with modern facilities to engage younger doctors.
He said each of the 10 regions would benefit from the clinics as a way of stemming the drift of doctors to the urban centres, especially to Accra, and to ensure the even distribution of doctors in the country.
Dr Abbah-Foli said feasibility studies were ongoing and that the society was ready to accept any help from any quarter provided it was genuine and transparent.
On the achievements of the society, he said some members of the society had made some breakthroughs in the area of pioneering work done by Dr John Manu of Pro-Vita Hospital, Tema, and Dr E. K Hadzi of the Lister Hospital, Accra.
He said their brave endeavours had put the smiles on the faces of childless couples with invitro fertilisation.
He appealed to the government to make the registration of private medical practitioners who wanted to operate with the National Health Insurance Scheme less cumbersome.
Dr Abbah-Foli said because of the frustrations private medical practitioners were confronted with in accessing the national scheme, the practitioners had found solace in the Nationwide Mutual Healthcare, a private health insurance scheme.
Mr Abdulai Salifu, the General Manager of the Business and Financial Times (BFT), organisers of the maiden edition of the Ghana Medical Awards, said the awards were meant to recognise excellence in the private medical and dental health sectors.
Mr Salifu said for the past years the BFT had spearheaded and funded a number of awards of recognition, leadership training and youth empowerment projects as a way of giving back to society.