Radiologists in West Africa have been urged to shift from general training to sub-specialisation and collaborate with other stakeholders to improve health care delivery.
Professor Tei Ntim, Rector of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, who made the call said, "no matter how modern or technologically advanced radiologists have become or how excellent their diagnoses are, their effort and contribution to health care would be meaningless if there is no collaboration with other stakeholders".
He was addressing the opening session of the 48th Annual General Meeting of Association of Radiologists of West Africa in Accra.
It was under the theme: "Radiological Imaging, Current Trends in West Africa".
This collaboration, Prof. Ntim said, would provide the needed feedback to help improve the practice of medicine and therefore help provide better services to patients.
He noted that the College was proud to be associated with the increase of radiologists in Ghana and the rest of West Africa over the past decade and said recent discussions between various Colleges in the sub-region would result in joint activities and recognition of qualification resulting in increased availability of specialists in radiology.
"Our focus should always be the service we render to mankind through improved diagnosis, treatment; regular meeting, sharing of information, research findings and networking would help promote the practice of medicine", Prof. Ntim added.
Dr. William Ofori Brakohiapa, President of Ghana Association of Radiologists, noted that Ghana had 25 radiologists, a ratio of 1:880,000 and 200 radiographers a ratio of 1:681,818 as compared to 220 radiologist and 1,050 radiographers in Nigeria.
He said Ghana had two Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines and six Computed Tomography (CT) Scan machines with three radiotherapists as compared to 25 MRI in Nigeria and 15 CT scan machines and noted that they
were inadequate for the populations of the two countries.
In a speech read on behalf of Minister of Health, Dr. Ben Kunbour, hesaid radiology had changed from just being a diagnosis entity to being used for treatment and monitoring of therapy.
In addition, it had become an integral part of patient care management worldwide and with what their colleagues were doing elsewhere especially in the West and Asia to enable them improve health care delivery.
He noted that modern technology facilitated the advancement of medicine especially radiology, but this came with a prize adding that machines and consumables had become expensive but governments in the sub region were trying their best to acquire them to facilitate health care.
Dr. Gladys Amponsah, Chairperson of West Africa College of Physicians, Ghana Chapter, said patients had become very assertive and discerning and that health professionals could not afford to disappoint them.
She said patients did not need to travel abroad for such services and called on radiologists to live up to the task and give good accounts of themselves in the discharge of their duties.