We have competent and skilled doctors but an ailing system - GMA laments

Deputy General Secretary for the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Titus Beyou, has underscored the need for government to invest heavily in the health sector.

The move he says will help resolve the challenges confronting the ailing health system in the country. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the medical doctor said, the GMA has consistently argued that, Ghana is endowed with competent and qualified doctors who can manage any situation in the country.

He was reacting to the decision to fly the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to the UK for medical care based upon an advice from his doctors.

He said no one can explicitly comment on that issue because as we speak, we do not have the full details on why the Vice President was flown to the UK but ‘’we continue to maintain that, if we equip our hospitals-like the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) other presidents from other countries will come to Ghana for service. And that is what the GMA has consistently pursued and will prefer.’’

He said, ‘’we have the skill, we have the knowledge, we have the human resource but the investment needed in the system; we must do it.’’

He also admonished Ghanaians especially our leaders to have confidence in our system we have built for ourselves because if you don’t trust your own hospitals built, then it means you have suspicion that, you have not given them the necessary investment.

Dr. Titus Beyou said if it was true that medical doctors for Dr. Bawumia recommended his travel, it could be for a good reason because as doctors, ‘’we have asked even the government to sometimes take people out for treatment and it is allowed. But what I want to emphasize is that, it should not be that people are going out because we don’t have the skill, or we don’t have the facilities. We should equip our facilities so we [Ghanaians] can seek care here,’’ he added.