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Participants travel nine hours by road to attend PharmAccess business training

PharmAccess Ghana has developed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training programs to improve the knowledge and skills of doctors and health facility managers.

  • Aug 26, 2017

The main goal of medical education is to improve health amongst all; healthcare providers aim to provide quality care to ensure better patient outcomes. In resource-restricted settings such as Ghana, this goal is difficult to attain in both public and private health facility establishments due to several challenges. Amidst the resource challenges of healthcare providers, particularly in private health facilities, is the limited business management knowledge of doctors. These doctors are the owners and managers of private healthcare facilities, which can only be sustained by operating as businesses.

Therefore, the CPD trainings are developed in order to improve business knowledge and skills among these doctors. The training covers various management topics such as Business operations, Investments and Financing, and Marketing and Client Relationship Management. The CPD trainings have been accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana and award participants with three credits point per a day’s training.

One of those trainings took place on July 28, 2017 in Kumasi at Miklin Hotel, on the theme “Health Business Management.” The location was meant to target participants form Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Upper regions of Ghana. Participants from 22 public and private facilities, comprising of doctors of all grades, health facility owners and managers were present. Some participants traveled long distances; one of them travelled 9 hours in order to attend the training. A post training evaluation by participants was rated high and got positive remarks, one participant stated: ‘’It was a great experience; the presentation was clear and comprehensive. I haven’t regretted traveling 9 hours to participate in the course”.

It is well known that not many doctors complete an entire CDP training from start to end; this was not the case during the PharmAccess business training. One doctor commented in his evaluation: “It is the only CPD training I have stayed through to the end”. Almost all participants suggested that the training should be organized more frequently, with an extension of the training period and to obtain more publicity to create awareness of the program. Also, some owners of the health facilities expressed their interest for an on-site training in various topics such as business and finance for their managers and senior staff.