Methodist Church holds health professionals conference

The Methodist Church Ghana has organised its 3rd annual Health Professionals Conference in Accra with a call on Christian Health Professionals to have senses on empathy and sympathy help to induce them to provide quality health care delivery to their patients at all times.

The Vice President of the Trinity Theological Seminar, Rev. Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu who made the call noted that by demonstrating Christian faith and love at their work places, health professionals would be proving to society that they were stewards of God propagating His love to mankind as portrayed by the Apostles.

Corrupt health professionals

He said bad attitude and corruption which had become endemic in Ghana had also found itself in the health sector where many christian health professionals practiced their trade.

Rev. Prof. Asamoah Gyadu made these observations when he delivered the key note address at the conference at the Wesley Cathedral in Accra ,which was on the theme : Medical Missions- Demonstrating Christian Faith and Love in the society

Participants

A total of 350 health professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses and laboratory assistants across Ghana attended the conference which was designed to direct their focus to provide quality health care delivery to their patients.

“A Christian health professional is first and foremost a steward. What this means is that Christian stewardship affects public witness. We come to Christ as individuals, but then after that we become part of the ‘people of God’ and ‘a holy nation,’ Rev. Prof. Asamoah Gyadu noted

He charged them to lead lives that bore witnesses to who they were, explaining that “our actions are meant to serve the public good. This is important because oftentimes, we understand Christian witness only in terms of telling people about Christ and getting them to say the sinner’s prayer. Christian witness is more than that.

It includes living out the faith in a way that bears testimony to the fact that we are called of God.”

Corruption in Ghana

Expressing concern about corruption in Ghana, he said it had now reached epidemic proportions.

“In the health sector, for example, corruption ranges from the neglect of duty to the charging of unauthorized medical fees and the plain pilfering and stealing of medical supplies.

“The homes of certain health professionals, including pharmacists, nurses and doctors could easily pass for extensions of pharmacies because drugs and supplies meant to serve the public good easily find their way into homes for whatever selfish purposes they may serve,” he bemoaned

Prince Opoku Acheampong

Recalling the incident where a 70 year-old man, Prince Anthony Opoku Acheampong died in his car on June 2, this year after seven hospitals in Accra allegedly refused to offer him medical care, Rev. Professor Asamoah-Gyadu said some of the health professionals who refused to treat the deceased had always been wearing the tag as Christians, but failed to live up to their core mandates to be stewards of God.

A former Director- General of the Ghana Health Services, Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira urged the participants to build good rapport with their patients as part of their core mandate.