GMA: Growing alcohol and drug abuse among health workers poses threat to patient care

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has voiced serious concerns over a surge in alcohol misuse, drug abuse, and sexual misconduct among healthcare professionals, cautioning that these behaviors jeopardize the quality of patient care and undermine the sector’s professionalism.

During the GMA’s annual general meeting, Dr. Frank Serebour, the association’s president, highlighted these issues, stressing that health workers struggling with these challenges still interact with patients every day. This situation, he argued, affects their capacity to deliver safe and attentive care.

Dr. Serebour expressed his disappointment over what he sees as a decline in standards and an increase in complacency within the profession. “Is professionalism in the health sector dwindling?” he asked. “Is there so much focus on greed and selfishness? At least all of us can attest to the escalation of lateness to duty, absenteeism, poor documentation, and also not dedicating enough time to our employers.”

He described a growing trend where healthcare workers often fail to complete a full day’s work, saying, “People walk into the hospital at 9:00 a.m., and by 12 noon, they’re walking out, claiming they’re done and expecting to be paid for eight hours.”

The GMA president also highlighted the serious implications of substance abuse among healthcare providers, noting cases where alcohol and drug misuse have affected their quality of care. “We have some health personnel who are involved in alcoholism, drug misuse, and abuse, which affect the quality of their life,” he said, adding that extreme cases include reports of sexual harassment committed by healthcare workers.

“There have been several legal suits, with outcomes sometimes not being favorable to us as health workers,” Dr. Serebour noted. “Indeed, sometimes we are left off the hook because the victims of our unprofessionalism choose to blame the witches and wizards instead of taking on the system.”

Calling for greater accountability and discipline, Dr. Serebour urged healthcare providers to renew their commitment to patient care and uphold ethical standards, stressing the importance of rigorous self-regulation in restoring professionalism to the sector.

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