Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, on Monday inducted 315 newly trained Physician Assistants (PAs) into service, urging them to uphold professionalism, compassion and integrity in the discharge of their duties.

In a speech read on his behalf during the induction ceremony in Accra, the Minister described the occasion as a significant national moment to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare workforce and frontline service delivery.

The newly inducted PAs, trained in Medical, Oral Health and Anaesthesia, join an existing professional community of about 7,000 practitioners across the country.

The Minister commended the inductees for their perseverance and congratulated their families, lecturers and mentors for their support.

He emphasised that the induction was not merely ceremonial but a renewal of commitment to quality healthcare, public trust and patient-centred service.

Mr Akandoh noted that the inductees were entering service at a critical stage in Ghana’s health sector transformation, particularly as government prepared to roll out Free Primary Healthcare.

Under the policy, he said, the system would shift focus from late treatment to early detection, prevention and continuous care.

The physician assistants, Mr Akandoh said, would play a central role in delivering frontline services, including triage, diagnosis, treatment, referrals, follow-ups and patient education at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centres and district facilities.

They would be instrumental in tackling non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancers, as well as strengthening maternal and child healthcare and emergency response services.

He said the Government remained committed to improving access to quality healthcare through reforms such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as MahamaCares, which supported patients with serious conditions not fully covered under existing packages.

Mr Akandoh highlighted the importance of professionalism, ethics and accountability, warning that misconduct by a few health workers could undermine public trust while assuring the Ministry’s continued collaboration with the Medical and Dental Council to strengthen regulation under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).

The Minister encouraged the inductees to embrace continuous professional development and serve in areas where their skills were most needed, stressing that their contribution would be vital to building a responsive and trusted healthcare system for all Ghanaians.

Dr Divine N. Banyubala, the Registrar of the Council, noted that the inductees were transitioning from supervised training to full professional responsibility.

“You are now custodians of public trust, and that trust must be earned and sustained through competence, compassion and professional integrity,” he said.

Dr Banyubala disclosed that the Council had developed a five-year strategic plan and introduced a core competency framework to guide medical and dental practice.

He highlighted a diaspora engagement policy aimed at encouraging Ghanaian health professionals abroad to contribute through mentorship, telemedicine and short-term clinical service.

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, the Chairman of the Council, speaking on the importance of the Patient’s Charter, urged the inductees to demonstrate humility and respect in their work.

He advised them to listen carefully to patients and recognise the limits of their competence to avoid professional lapses.

The physician assistants were trained in accredited institutions, including the University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University for Health and Allied Sciences, and University for Development Studies.