Health professionals to be evaluated

Ho, Jan. 18, GNA - Dr John Elizah, Ho Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has said Medical Officers and other health professionals in the country would soon have to pass a re-evaluation to continue practicing.

He said the policy, already in practice in advanced countries would ensure that only technically and ethically proficient professionals remained in practice to maintain standards . Dr Elizah was addressing the first review meeting of stakeholders of the Ho Municipal Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (HMMHIS) in Ho on Tuesday.

He said the policy would weed out health professionals who were stale or compromised ethical standards.

Dr Elizah said the public must be educated on structures of the health delivery institutions, such as health centers, clinics polyclinics, district hospitals, regional hospitals and the teaching hospitals.

He said each level had its competencies and must not be bogged down with cases that could be treated at other levels, noting that, some bearers of health insurance cards were in the habit of reporting at tertiary regional hospitals with simple cases that could be treated at lower levels.

Dr Elizah said the best thing for the sick to do was to report at their local clinics to be referred to higher levels of health delivery when necessary.

Mr. Prosper Pi-Bansah, Scheme Manager said the unjustifiable frequency some workers with health insurance cards visited hospitals not only threatened the scheme but also lowered productivity. Mr. Mawuko Tsigbe, Public Relations Officer, said ignorance of the benefits of the scheme remained a challenge confronting the NHIS.