The leadership of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA) has directed its members to suspend the renewal of licenses with the Medical and Dental Council for the ensuing year 2023.
Speaking at a press briefing, the General Secretary Of the Association, Peter Eyram Kuenyuefu said that the decision to withdraw from the Medical and Dental Council is due to the unfairness with which the Medical and Dental council exercises its regulatory authority over Physician Assistants.
He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Health to come out with modalities of getting their own regulatory body through the amendment of the Health Regulations Bodies Act, 2023 (ACT 857) with the involvement of all the key stakeholders.
“Leadership is highly aware of the legal implications of this decision to both the practitioner and employer, but we stand by our directive to register our displeasure about the way medical and dental council has treated this cadre of practitioners since joining the council over a decade ago.
“Our regulator, the Medical and Dental Council through the registrar is fighting us in court describing us as non-medical practitioners contrary to the provisions in the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (ACT 857). Efforts to get the Ministry of Health to get us our own Medical Body since the leadership of MDC claimed that we are not medical practitioners have proven futile. How can a non-medical practitioner be regulated by the Medical and Dental Council?
“Since joining the Medical and Dental Council, the Physician Assistant profession has witnessed stagnation in terms of career progression coupled with acts of intimidation and suppression by the leadership of the administration and Board of the Medical and Dental Council. Our regulator, Medical and Dental Council says that career progression for Physician Assistants is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Health and not the duty of the regulatory body that regulates Physician Assistants. But the Registrar of Medical and Dental Council is on tape saying they MDC have lobbied for funding and sponsorship for career progression for another cadre of professionals that the Medical and Dental Council also regulates; this is double standard.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5 Fm
