Dr. K.O Adadey, Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council, on Friday said the core function of doctors was to save lives and any behaviour not in tune with this objective would cast doubt on one�s integrity as a doctor.
He said the responsibilities of doctors registered with Medical and Dental Council were clearly spelt out and hinges on the philosophy that �patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives�.
Dr Adadey said this at a �White Coat Ceremony� for 42 level 400 clinical students of the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences (UCCSMS).
The students, during the occasion, were robed with white coats and afterwards took the medical student�s oath to usher them into the next phase of their education.
The white coat ceremony, the first to be introduced in medical education in the country, symbolises the induction into the profession of
medicine.
The students, who had already undergone two and a-half-years of academic work, have three more clinical years to complete their studies.
Dr Adadey said the ethics of the medical profession posed a huge challenge to the students and that called for nothing less than a high level
of integrity from its practitioners to adopt honesty, moral uprightness, wholeness and soundness in character.
He urged them to be transparent at all times and never to abuse the trust of patients while they worked with them and respect their rights
adding �the client you will deal with are already vulnerable and your action or inaction will determine their fate either to live or die�.
He asked the students to cultivate the right attitude as was being inculcated in them by the School, and be composed, selfless, dedicated and
apply the right principle for them to become �giants� in their profession.
Dr Adadey challenged them to do away with double standards in dealing with themselves and others stressing that they were personally accountable for their professional actions.
He said as pioneers of the UCC Medical School, they should be icons for those after them and ensure that they made their school, teachers and parents proud.
Dr Harold Amonoo Kwofie, Dean of UCCSMS, described the function as �historic� and said the School�s curriculum had been designed to meet the needs of the medical profession in the 21st century.
He said it would come out with unique breed of doctors who were compassionate, competent, dynamic and open minded.
The Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, applauded the UCCSMS�s unique curriculum and commended the Dean of the
School for his dynamism and commitment to duty.
Dr Elias Sory, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said the medical profession had of recent times come under public scrutiny and
pointed out that doctors were no longer �demigods�.
He was full of praise for the UCCSMS as it was in the process of producing a disciplined group of professionals who will turn the practice of medicine around in the country.
He said their clinical years were very important to their subsequent practice as professionals and urged them to engage mentors who would assist and guide them.
Dr Sory advised them to, as future doctors, desist from making money their foremost priority but rather seek to be good doctors �and all other
things shall be added to it�.
He called on medical schools in the country to emulate the �white coat ceremony� because it was the key to facilitate the required change in the medical profession as the white coat would be a constant reminder of their oath.