Let's be professionals
Ghana suffers from poor professionalism across the board and all is, very recent. Men and women of the professional class in Ghana as late as the 1970s stood up for their beliefs and many suffered and some paid the ultimate price for it during the military eras.
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The invasion of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in 1977 following a strike by the Ghana Medical Association after the announcement, sacking two very senior professors of the University of Ghana Medical School, brought together a surreal moment that included the National Union of Ghana Students and in 1979 after the murder of three judges and a military officer. The professionals acted professionally.
Have we lost it?
We seem to have lost all of the verve and concerns for national issues and each profession has become more parochial and its membership more individualistic in pursuit of money. What is surprising is that many have lost the ingredients of professionalism, described as a combination of skill and high standards involving a level of quality or achievements and moral principles which affect people's attitude and
The coming in of multiparty democracy seem to have played a big role in the loss of professionalism. Each to the party of their belief, guarding and defending the actions of the party, some however indefensible, and enjoying the spoils of their success. The military involvement in governance perhaps brought all together to fight a common enemy probably depriving them of what was naturally theirs.
Mediocrity and ethics
The loss of professionalism has ingrained mediocrity
Conflict of interest does not seem to matter: professionals are steep in the
The etiquette of professionalism speaks to the ideals of leadership, honesty
Ethical considerations feature prominently among professionals- knowing what is right and wrong and taking the moral high ground all the time.
We are at a loss as to what proportion of the nation's professionals appreciate the three important considerations listed above and are prepared to improve themselves regularly and perhaps, subject themselves to fitness to practice test annually?
This is what happens in many developed countries and we can learn from it.
The world has moved on and the number of professional groupings have increased exponentially in the world and also in Ghana. So who is a professional in Ghana today? A Programme that generates significant skill and standards and graduands form an
Ghana's renaissance can rely on its professionals being professionals and serving once again as the eyes and ears of the society. We owe it to our country and to ourselves.