The Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) says it will consider proposals to allow medical practitioners to advertise themselves and their medical facilities. This follows calls by the Director-General of the Holy Trinity Medical Centre,an Accra-based private hospital to allow doctors to advertise their facilities. Dr. Felix Anyaah has advocated a review of sections of the law that prohibits medical practitioners from advertising. According to him the move will help save lives and deal with the brain drain problem in the health sector confronting the nation. He said the regulations relating to medical practice and advertising which were drawn in 1972 when the country was under a military regime were inconsistent with the 1992 Constitution. “Every country that has a constitution that guarantees the fundamental human rights including the right to trade cannot restrict advertising”, he stated. But the Registrar of the GMDC, Dr. Eli Kosi Atikpui said the proposal requires careful consideration. He said four years ago the issue came up and went as far as the Attorney-General’s Department. According to him it was noted that it is only in the United States that advertising by medical practitioners was allowed. Even there, he said, the advertising is closely controlled. Dr. Atikpui cautioned that adopting the proposal without due consideration of the implications could run the country into serious difficulties. Story by Malik Abass Daabu