The association of graduate Physician Assistants is accusing the Akufo-Addo government of being the worst persecutor of the professionals since the 1960s.
In a statement copied to WhatsUp News, the Graduate Physician Assistant Association of Ghana (GPAAG) said the government is persecuting them through its appointed head over the Physician and Dental Council as well as the National Health Insurance Authority.
Signed by its President, Anthony A. Arkoh and General Secretary, Joel Tetteh Padi, the statement said that the government is intentionally collapsing the PA practice in Ghana through several persecutory schemes, including limiting the scope of practice for Pas.
“No government has persecuted the Physician Assistant profession than the current NPP Government perpetrated by their politically influenced appointees since 1960,” the statement read.
“As the country barely recovers from the shock of serial collapsed businesses and financial institutions, little did the Physician Assistant Medical profession know, it’s next to be collapsed and completely abolished under the current NPP government by using the Acting Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council and Cohorts.”
“Physician Assistants practiced competently in districts and sub-districts where no doctor is bridging the gap since 1960, so when did they become Dependent Practitioners?”
Misleading as the job title sounds, a Physician Assistant does not assist any Physician or a Doctor but practice medicine independently.
This cadre of health professionals are found all over the world including countries like the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and many African countries.
In Ghana currently, the program is offered at Universities (eg. UCC, Central University, University of Allied Health, Presbyterian University, College of Health and Wellbeing, etc.) across the country for a minimum of 4 years (With students paying in excess of GHC8000 annually as fees), after which the professionals are made to sit for licensing exams supervised by the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana.
All those who pass these exams are made to undergo an additional 1 year of training under strict supervision in accredited Hospitals across the country. This is to ensure that the professionals are prepared to practice medicine in the country.
However, despite all the education, PAS say they are treated as less important to doctors with every institution of State being used to limit their scope of practice and make them look less useful.
They especially accuse the Akufo-Addo government of the worst persecution ever saying that the government’s appointees at the NHIA and the Medical and Dental Council are the main source of terror.