College of Physicians and Surgeons trains 436 specialists
The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, a medical postgraduate institution, has so far trained 436 specialist doctors in medicine and surgery in the country. Fifteen of the graduates are fellows.
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Since the first batch of trainees passed out in 2007, the college turns out medical specialists every year who are offering specialist medical services to Ghanaians.
According to the Rector of the college, Professor David Ofori-Adjei, the establishment of the college some 10 years ago had helped to reduce the brain drain in the medical profession by helping the country to retain 84 per cent of its trained doctors.
He said the college had created a rare opportunity for training medical doctors locally and that had eased the number of medical doctors who usually left for postgraduate training outside the country and never returned.
Prof. Ofori-Adjei made this known on Wednesday during a press soiree as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the college.
He noted that between 2000 and 2004 only 40 per cent of doctors trained were retained in the country, as a majority of them left, but said as of 2011 and 2012, as a result of the establishment of the college, majority of the doctors stayed and practised in the country.
The rector hinted that the model being used by the college had become very attractive to other African countries, as doctors from other parts of Africa were currently pursuing postgraduate training in the college.
Challenges facing the College
He said even though the funding the college received from the Consolidated Fund was insufficient and irregular, it had managed to apply its internally generated funds appropriately.
Prof. Ofori-Adjei, however, said the college did not have adequate facilities to absorb the potentially high number of Ghanaian doctors being trained locally and internationally.
According to him, most trainees had to leave their duty posts for Accra for the training, thereby creating inconvenience for them and their families.
The Way forward
The rector said the college was exploring the possibility of training specialists outside the teaching hospitals by using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and video conferencing to offer training to the doctors at their locations, while they continued to offer services to their communities.
He added that with the support of MTN, the college had acquired the necessary facilities and would soon start training the doctors online.
