SET UP BODY ON ETHICS OF OPOMETRY PROFESSION (PAGE 35, DEC 2, 2010)

THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has called for the setting up of a qualified body to enforce the ethics of the optometry profession.
Mr Mahama said even though the profession had served the country in diverse ways in the healthcare delivery system, it was faced with challenges in its bid to offer quality services to the people.
Addressing the third induction ceremony for 105 newly qualified doctors of optometry from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 year groups to the Ghana Optometric Association, the Vice-President said the move would also help to weed out unqualified personnel from the system.
These were contained in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Steve Okrah, the Director at the Central Regional Co-ordinating Council at the auditorium of the School of Medical Sciences in Cape Coast.
Vice-President Mahama said the government would strive to ensure that the optometry profession was regulated to achieve its full potential in line with the “Better Ghana” agenda.
He said the nation should look forward to a greater opportunity for every Ghanaian to get access to comprehensive eye care services, eradication of preventable blindness, as well as all other provisions of the Vision 2020 in collaboration with all stakeholders in the eye care sector.
He pledged the government’s support for them to enable them to contribute their quota towards national development.
The Head of the Department of Optometry, Dr Alfred Owusu, reminded the participants that their induction imposed on them a sense of responsibility to conscientiously and honourably promote their profession with regard to highest standards of their practice, ethics and ideas in optometry.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku–Agyemang, admonished universities in the country to ensure closer collaboration for the optimum use of resources and equipment for the training of students.
At the ceremony during which the newly qualified doctors took their professional oath administered by a judge of the High Court, Osagyefo  Agyemang-Badu II, the Dormaahene, Dr Anthony Kpetsey of the KNUST, took the Dr F.K. Morny Memorial Prize for the OD in Optometry Licenser Examination.
Dr Mary Anderson of the UCC was adjudged the best in ODs in 2008/2009 with Dr Michael Ntodie also of the UCC for 2009/2010. Dr Ernest Awiti Bafoe of KNUST for 2008/2009, whilst Dr Nartey Tawiah Emmanuel also of KNUST won the 2009/2010 awards.
On behalf of the newly qualified doctors, Dr Kpetsey called on the government to expedite action on their postings to district hospitals, salaries and provision of equipment for them to deliver.