Anaesthetists to cease operations next year over bad conditions of service
Jacob Wumbei, Past President of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetist
Anaesthetists resist decision to change the name of the association
Read full articleAnaesthetists want to be detached from the Medical and Dental council
Medical and Dental Council accused of incompetence
The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists has disclosed that the performance of surgeries at health facilities across the country may come to a halt next year if the government fails to set up a council to manage the affairs of its members and detach them from the Medical and Dental Council.
The group, for some weeks now, has been threatening to break away from the Medical and Dental citing neglect and incompetence on the side of the council as its reason.
The immediate past President of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists, Jacob Wumbei, in an interview with Citi News mentioned that the Association’s members will not renew their membership with the Medical and Dental council come next year. This is to draw the attention of the government towards their demands.
“The purpose for which the Council was created has been defeated. The Council only takes money from us to renew our certificates and that ends it. The council is not interested in our wellbeing in any way.”
He added that “We are not going to renew our certificates with the Medical and Dental Council, and we expect the Ministry of Health to quickly set up a Council to address our issues. We need the Ministry to do this by January next year, else we will be forced to withdraw our services.”
Parliament changed the name of the professionals from Physician Assistants-Anaesthesia to Certified Registered Anaesthetists through the amendment of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act 857, and ordered the Medical and Dental Council to apply the necessary conditions of service.
But the Association has complained about the amendment’s lack of regard for their career progression and the scarce management opportunities available for its members.
The Association says that the Medical and Dental Council’s attempt to change their already existing Bachelor of Science Anaesthesia to Bachelor of Science Physician Assistants by introducing a new curriculum for their training is a clear violation of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act 857 (Act 2013).
It has in the past claimed that Doctor Anaesthetists have been resisting the move to change the name of the association.
