President John Dramani Mahama has declared that no healthcare system across the continent can claim to be universal or equitable if the care delivered to citizens remains unsafe and compromised by unqualified practitioners.
Addressing delegates as the Special Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of the 28th Annual International Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) in Accra, Mr Mahama highlighted the urgent need to modernise regulatory bodies to protect patient safety.
“A health system cannot be truly universal if the care people receive is unsafe. It cannot be truly equitable if some communities are exposed to unqualified practice, unethical conduct, or poor standards. And it cannot be truly people-centred if citizens cannot trust those who are licensed to care for them,” he stated.
The former President noted that the rapidly shifting healthcare environment in Africa—marked by digital health innovations, cross-border practice, artificial intelligence, and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases—demands a swift regulatory response to protect the public from unethical exploitation and weak enforcement.
“Every licence issued by a regulator is a promise made to the public. It is a promise that the person entrusted with the life of a patient has been properly trained, properly assessed, properly registered, and will be held accountable to professional and ethical standards. Regulation, therefore, is not bureaucracy. It is public protection. It is patient safety. It is the foundation of public trust,” he asserted.
Warning that standard static oversight is no longer fit for purpose, he urged regulators across the continent to adopt a model that is both firm and flexible enough to adapt to technological advances without diluting professional standards.
“Responsive regulation means regulation that is firm, but fair; protective, but enabling; locally grounded, but globally informed. It is about knowing when to guide, when to support, when to correct, and when to sanction,” Mr Mahama explained, adding that health remains a central pillar of economic development under Agenda 2063.
He commended AMCOA for fostering continental cooperation and commended the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, under the Ministry of Health, for hosting the conference and driving high ethical standards in medical education and patient care.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
