TWO hundred and fifty allied health graduates have been inducted into the health profession at a ceremony organised at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
The induction ceremony, which coincided with an oath swearing of the graduates, ushered them into the health profession as qualified allied health professionals, committed to support quality health care delivery in the country.
Moments after the oath swearing ceremony, the allied health graduates, who included optical technicians, biomedical technicians and physiotherapists were challenged to keep proper medical records to enable them measure the trend of diseases in the country.
The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the KNUST, Professor E.T. Agbenyega, who threw the challenge, explained that it was only when they kept proper records that they could determine the decline or otherwise of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis among others.
Speaking on the theme: ''Achieving the MDGs on Health in Ghana: the role of Allied Health Professionals,' Prof Agbenyega also urged the government to provide the requisite tools to Allied Health professionals to enable them impact positively in quality health care delivery.
'We should remember that without the appropriate tools and expertise, we cannot diagnose and manage the other neglected diseases in fulfillment of MDGs ' he explained.
Prof. Agbenyega, however, expressed doubt about the realisation of the MDGs by 2015, saying, 'with 2015 less than two years away, many of the United Nations member states that committed to the Millennium declaration to combat poverty, hunger, diseases, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination among women among others were struggling to achieve the set targets'.
The Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Yaw Adusei, advised the newly graduated allied health professionals to maintain the highest principles of morals, ethical and legal conduct necessary to enhance and improve quality health care delivery in the country.
'The need for quality health care to be provided to the people is underpinned by the fact that the health of the people is the wealth of every nation. No nation can achieve the desired level of growth and development without an effective health delivery system,' he explained.
Congratulating the graduates for their feat, Mr Adusei said like many health workers, they had a big role to play towards the realisation of Ghana's MDGs by ensuring quality in the diagnosis and health investigations.
He said it was to enhance quality diagnosis that the government established the University of Health and Allied Sciences to provide opportunity to train the youth in health-related areas.
Mr Adusei said plans were far advanced for the introduction of mobile laboratories to provide opportunities for rural communities to have access to allied health services.
He therefore urged the citizenry to support the government to perform creditably in the realisation of MDGs by 2015.
From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The Mirror/Ghana/graphic.com.gh
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