By Philip Antoh
The Human Rights Court 2 of the High Court in Accra has issued an interim injunction barring the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) from enforcing the Stage 1 Common Registration Examination (CRE) as a condition for the provisional registration of 792 newly trained medical doctors.
The order also restrains the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Health from enforcing the requirement pending the determination of the substantive case and an injunction application filed on notice by the Federation of Ghana Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) and the affected students.
In a press statement dated Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the Federation said the ruling suspends the examination, which had been scheduled for Thursday, October 22.
The examination was a compulsory requirement for the affected doctors to secure provisional registration and commence their horsemanship.
From Advocacy to Legal Action
The court’s intervention comes after FGMSA confirmed, in a statement dated Tuesday, October 20, 2026, that legal proceedings had commenced over the CRE, which had raised concerns among graduating medical and dental students.
In that statement, the Federation’s National Executive Council said the matter was now before the Court, marking a shift from earlier public advocacy to legal action.
A move it said was guided by its commitment to fairness, due process and the protection of students’ legitimate interests within Ghana’s medical and dental education system.
The development followed an earlier statement issued on October 1, 2026, in which the Federation expressed concerns about the examination and called for an approach that would uphold professional standards while considering the circumstances of affected students.
FGMSA stressed that its concerns should not be construed as opposition to professional regulation or efforts to maintain standards in medical and dental practice.
Rather, it said its position had focused on ensuring that regulatory requirements were implemented fairly, with due regard for students’ interests and the integrity of the country’s medical and dental education system.
Compliance Call and Judicial Restraint
With the matter now in court, FGMSA has urged all parties involved to comply with the directive while the legal proceedings continue, stressing that decisions with implications for the professional careers of graduating medical and dental students must be guided by the law, fairness and due process.
The Federation also said it would limit its public comments to avoid interfering with the case.
“As the matter is now before the court, the Federation will respect the judicial process and refrain from commenting on issues that may prejudice the proceedings,” the statement said.
The National Executive Council appealed to the public, stakeholders and the media to allow the judicial process to proceed without speculation, while assuring students and other interested parties that updates would be communicated through the Federation’s official channels when appropriate.
FGMSA further thanked its legal team, the affected graduating classes, and medical and dental students for their support throughout the process.
Again, the Federation did not provide further details about the legal proceedings, citing the need to respect the judicial process, but reiterated its commitment to protecting the legitimate interests of graduating medical and dental students, while supporting constructive engagement, due process and the professional standards expected of future healthcare practitioners.