On Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) of Ghana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ghanaian Doctors and Dentists Association UK (GDDA-UK) during the 18th Annual Health Conference of the GDDA-UK in London.
This historic agreement was signed by Dr. Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) of Ghana, and Dr. William Kedjanyi, President of GDDA-UK.
The MOU addresses the credentialing and licensing process for UK-based Ghanaian physicians and other physicians interested in contributing to training, specialty and subspecialty service provision, including organ/tissue transplantation procedures and health research collaboration.
The MOU aims to expedite and reduce the cost of the process by fifty percent and includes provisions for waiving examinations in certain special situations for select UK-based physicians.
Additionally, it aligns with GDDA-UK’s mandate to provide educational and faculty support to the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Prominent figures present at the signing ceremony included Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, H.E. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Prof. Samuel Debrah, President of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), Prof. Richard Adanu, Rector GCPS, Prof. Sandra Hewlett, Ag. Dean of the University of Ghana Dental School, and Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service.
Dr. Kedjanyi emphasized that the MOU would facilitate GDDA-UK members’ registration with MDC Ghana, enabling them to provide quality and safe specialist and sub-specialist medical and dental services and support academic activities such as teaching and research through medical and dental schools and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS).
The Registrar, Dr. Banyubala, highlighted the importance of harnessing diasporan resources and leveraging technology to enhance the local training of doctors and dentists, provide quality specialist services, and promote collaborative health research. He mentioned that these efforts align with the consensus policy decisions from last year’s medical and dental training and practice conference organized by the Council as part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations.
H.E. Papa Owusu-Ankomah emphasized that this historic event aligned with the Embassy and Government’s agenda of mobilizing Ghanaians in the diaspora for national development. He expressed gratitude to the Registrar, Dr. Banyubala, the Board of the Council, and the executives of GDDA-UK for their perseverance and patience in making the MOU a reality.
Hon. Dr. Afriye, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, affirmed Parliament’s support for this visionary and historic event, recognizing its potential to position Ghana as the health tourism hub for West Africa.
Dr. Kedjanyi concluded by expressing his gratitude to all involved parties, including H.E. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, Dr. Divine Banyubala, Prof. Samuel Debrah, and Prof. Richard Adanu, for making this long-awaited goal a reality