The President of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association, Emmanuel Yaw Appiah, has called on the Ministry of Health to fast track the employment of Physician Assistants in the country.
According to him, huge numbers of qualified Physician Assistants have not been posted yet, even though the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana has submitted the list of qualified Physician Assistants to the Ministry of Health for consideration.
The President of GPAA was speaking at the 18th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association in Cape Coast.
He maintained that “although Physician Assistants remain a key factor in the health delivery system, not much can be said about efforts made to protect the profession. What is most disheartening is the frustration Physician Assistants go through in getting accreditation from the National Health Authority to operate health facilities and render quality health services to people with valid National Health Insurance card”.
Emmanuel Yaw Appiah called on stakeholders to encourage individuals in the health sector to complement the government’s efforts to extend healthcare to the doorstep of the people.
The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Akosua Agyeiwah-Sarpong, underscored the important role played by the GPAA in the health delivery infrastructure of the country.
She intimated that “by virtue of your strategic positioning as sub-district heads and managers of health centres and therefore the gatekeeper of the health system, you have a direct influence on service outcome and that your contribution to the health sector cannot be overemphasized”.
Dr. Akosua Agyeiwah-Sarpong stressed that “successive governments have concentrated on providing health infrastructure due to the health demands of the people, sometimes to the neglect of career progression, hence, the theme: Career Progression and Protection for the Physician Assistant; Your Role, My Role, Our Role in the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage is appropriate ”.
She further encouraged Physician Assistants to bring on-board more innovation towards attaining quality health care delivery.
