The Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) has revealed that 17 medical practitioners have been reported to have mental health conditions, while 12 others are battling substance abuse.
The disclosure was made by the Registrar of the Council, Dr. Divine Banyubala, during a visit by Parliament’s Health Committee to the Council.
Dr. Banyubala described the situation as a significant concern and said the Council is strengthening measures to support affected healthcare professionals while safeguarding patient care.
He noted that the GMDC has taken a leading role in addressing “fitness to practise” issues by establishing mechanisms to assess the health and professional capacity of practitioners.
According to him, the Council’s framework has also served as a model for other regulatory bodies, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
“We are the leader in Ghana when it comes to fitness-to-practice issues,” Dr. Banyubala said, adding that the Council hopes similar frameworks will be adopted across the public sector.
He explained that when practitioners are reported for mental health or substance abuse concerns, the Council constitutes a Health Assessment Panel to evaluate their fitness to practise.
“In one case, the panel found nothing of concern after its assessment, but we continued what we call ‘watchful waiting,'” he said, stressing that each case is handled based on professional assessment.
Dr. Banyubala disclosed that the Council convened a stakeholders’ meeting in February to discuss the growing challenge of mental health among healthcare workers.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, who agreed on the need for a nationwide baseline study on mental health and fitness to practise within Ghana’s healthcare workforce.
The proposed study, he said, will examine the prevalence of mental health challenges, burnout and substance abuse among healthcare professionals, while assessing whether adequate workplace support systems exist for health workers who require care.
According to Dr. Banyubala, the findings are expected to inform policies aimed at strengthening the resilience of Ghana’s healthcare system and ensuring that healthcare workers receive the support they need to continue providing quality care.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
