Surgeon petitions Police over Restrictive Medical Report Policy

A Ghanaian medical practitioner has petitioned the Ghana Police Service to revise what he describes as an outdated and discriminatory directive concerning who can complete police medical report forms for victims of road accidents, assault, rape and other criminal incidents.

In a formal letter addressed to the police administration, Dr. Kofi Nutakor, a general surgeon, challenged the long-standing practice that restricts completion of such forms to registered medical practitioners in government hospitals only.

Dr. Nutakor emphasised that this policy is not only out of place, but undermines the role of licensed private health practitioners who also provide critical care to victims.

He noted that the current stipulation ignores the reality that many victims first seek medical treatment at private health facilities, which are legally registered under the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA).

“Any registered medical practitioner working in a facility duly licensed by HeFRA has the legal right to write these reports,” Dr. Nutakor stated in the petition.

He expressed concern that the restrictive policy could result in victims being denied compensation or legal redress simply because their medical reports are not accepted when issued by private doctors.

In addition, Dr. Nutakor highlighted a clause on the police medical report form which states that a fee of GH¢2.10 is payable to medical practitioners, except those in government service, for each report issued.

He questioned the relevance of this fee, suggesting that the form may not have been updated for decades.

“The payment structure and language on these forms are clearly outdated. It’s time for the Ghana Police Service to review this practice, just as we amend our national constitution to reflect the times.”

The petition, which was copied to the Medical and Dental Council and major media houses including Joy FM and Citi TV, calls for an immediate review of the police’s policies surrounding medical documentation.

The post Surgeon petitions Police over Restrictive Medical Report Policy appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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