The Human Rights Court 2 in Accra has granted an interim injunction restraining the Medical and Dental Council (MDC), the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Health from making the Stage 1 Common Registration Examination (CRE) a mandatory requirement for the provisional registration and commencement of housemanship by 792 newly trained medical doctors.

The ruling, presided over by Justice Nana Brew, follows a legal challenge filed by the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Associations (FGMSA) and the 792 affected doctors against the examination requirement.

The examination was scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2026. However, the court's order prevents the enforcement of the requirement pending the determination of the substantive case.

The injunction means the MDC cannot insist that the affected doctors sit and pass the Stage 1 CRE as a precondition for obtaining provisional registration and beginning their mandatory housemanship while the case remains before the court.

Lawyers Rachel Otu Amponsah and Belinda Narkey Quaynor, holding brief for Hon. Dr Francis-Xavier Sosu, represented the applicants in the case.

The FGMSA had earlier questioned the legal basis for introducing the examination under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).

The association argues that the proposed examination duplicates assessments already conducted by accredited medical and dental schools, raising concerns about the necessity and legality of imposing an additional examination on newly trained doctors before they can begin housemanship.

The legal challenge has brought renewed attention to the regulatory powers of the Medical and Dental Council, the assessment of newly qualified medical professionals and the requirements governing provisional registration and housemanship in Ghana.

Although the interim injunction temporarily restrains enforcement of the disputed examination requirement, the court has yet to make a final determination on the substantive issues raised by the applicants.

The matter has been adjourned for the hearing of the substantive motion on notice.

The outcome of the case is expected to clarify the legal position on the Stage 1 Common Registration Examination and determine whether the MDC can lawfully make it a compulsory requirement for the provisional registration and commencement of housemanship by the affected doctors.

For the 792 newly trained medical doctors, the ruling represents a significant development in their ongoing effort to secure provisional registration and proceed to the next stage of their medical careers.

The final decision will determine the legal status of the disputed examination requirement.







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