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THE HEALTH COUNCIL

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!!

The National Assembly this week voted unanimously in favour of a bill presented by Health Minister Vincent Meriton to set up a Health Professionals Council. The primary aim and objectives of this Council is to monitor competence and regulate performances within the health service of public and private practitioners operating in the country.

In presenting the bill minister Vincent Meriton highlighted the responsibility of the Council stating that it will monitor all practising health professionals to ensure they are well qualified and are upholding the highest standard of practice as required by law in the interest of public health. If the minister is expecting any gratitude from the public he will have to wait for a long time. This is something that should have long been in place; twenty nine years is an exaggerated length of time to have waited.

It is not clearly understood why only three members, Honourable St Ange, Annette Georges and Hon Herminie gave their reactions on something as important as the health of the population. Maybe the MNAs who chose not to participate in the debate had good reason for not doing so.

Hon St Ange made a point that is so often overlooked when recruiting practitioners for the local health service. He considers the issue of language as an important factor in that the person should at least speak one of the country’s official languages. Hon St Ange is absolutely 100% correct in his argument, we cannot afford to recruit anyone to work within the local health service if clear dialogue cannot be established between, patient and doctor or even between doctor and assistant, which has been the case in the past.

Another important criteria outlined in the Bill included good character and a high standard of training. Medical practitioners or any other professional for that matter must accept that their behaviour in public, especially in a small community like Seychelles will either inspire confidence in their ability to deliver or have an adverse effect.

The idea of a Council to monitor the work of practitioners in the health industry is a step in the right direction and should be supported by all. We wish its members well and ask them to use their newly acquired power wisely in pursuing malpractice and professional misconduct, which admittedly is becoming more of an issue by the day.