The University of Health and Allied Sciences held a joint White Coat Ceremony on 12 April to induct 103 students from the School of Medicine (SOM) and the School of Pharmacy (SOP) into their clinical years. The inductees comprised 66 medical students and 37 pharmacy students.
Professor Francis Werner Ofei, Associate Professor at the School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape-Coast spoke on the theme, “Professionalism and Safe Quality Healthcare Delivery”.
He noted that professionalism in healthcare is fast eroding, with some members of these noble professions having forgotten the words of the oaths they swore to protect lives in dignity and confidence, adding that with the rise in modern technology, some have even taken to social media to be sharing confidential information on their patients, taking and posting pictures where they are not supposed to. “They seem to have forgotten why they are here,” he said.
Professor Ofei therefore admonished the inductees to live by their oaths, for “your certificates mean nothing if you do not stick by the tenets of the profession.” He said, quality personnel are needed to provide quality healthcare which translates into universal health care coverage. He also urged the inductees to continuously build upon their knowledge-base and endeavor to serve their communities in humility and dignity, be open to criticism, and accept responsibility for their actions.
Vice Chancellor Professor John Gyapong, charged the inductees to be excellent ambassadors of UHAS and their noble professions. He explained that the idea of a joint ceremony for the two schools was to help foster teamwork between the professions: “Health professionals delivering healthcare services must see themselves as a team working together to complement one another rather than seeing themselves as individuals.”
He said in delivering the right kind of service to the patient, professionals in the health sector must work as a team irrespective of turf or the perceived importance of one profession over the other.
Professor Harry Tagbor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and immediate past Dean of SOM, administered the oath for students of medicine while Pharm Essilfie Essel, Volta Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council, administered for students of pharmacy.
