History of Diagnostic Radiology in Ghana

Abstract

The history of Radiology in Ghana which began in 1951 has not been fully documented. The establishment of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, of which the Faculty of Radiology is a part, the West African College of Surgeons, as well as other institutions for radiography training, have played a major role in improving the Radiologist/Population-, Radiologist/Radiographer- and Radiographer/Population ratios in the country. Credence has also been given to a number of aims and objectives of the Faculty of Radiology of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons such as a) The turning out of Radiologists for 9 out of the 16 regions of the country. b) A vast improvement in the quality and quantity of radiological services to the citizenry by the provision of modern radiological equipment, as well as increased manpower for the various diagnostic procedures. c) The establishment of subspecialties such as Interventional radiology, Neuroradiology and Paediatric radiology. The article seeks to highlight some of the major achievements and challenges in the delivery of radiological services to the citizenry of Ghana. Some of the challenges facing the specialty such as inadequate equipment in some public hospitals and the lack of maintenance of same are discussed. There is also inequitable distribution of radiologists across the country. Recommendations in the area of increased number of resident’s slots for postgraduate training by the Ministry of Health, as well as the reestablishment of external exposure for trainers to deepen their knowledge for the training of residents have been mentioned.