Members of the Concerned Medical Laboratory Scientists (COMELS), a pressure group, together with the Patients Safety Advocacy Africa, an NGO, have congratulated medical laboratory scientists and technicians for their immense contribution to quality healthcare delivery as Ghana joins the rest of the world to observe May Day today.
COMELS in a statement released on this day set aside globally to recognise the efforts of workers, urged those in the medical laboratory field to work hard to put patients’ safety first regardless of the challenges they are confronted with.
[contextly_sidebar id=”MqYfidMK8JRz3J9btzGvGsFinyVpazVf”]COMELS in particular expressed concern about the seeming lack of recognition for the work done by medical laboratory scientists and technicians despite their significant role, and urged governments of developing nations like Ghana to pay more attention to that group of professionals by resourcing them adequately to be more effective and efficient.
Below is the statement by Concerned Medical Laboratory Scientists (COMELS), and Patients Safety Advocacy Africa (PSA2)
We are in the days of science and technology. It is the days of modern medicine and that of evidence-based medicine. We are in the days of personalized medicine.
This is the way to go. This is the way to go if we mean health. This is the way to go if we mean total disease prevention. Yes! Seventy percent (70%) of medical diagnosis is done through the Lab.
My profession is a silent one but salient if we mean any of the above. A profession with low reputation in poor/ developing countries like Ghana. A profession that is not a primary choice for most students; but plays a pivotal role in modern medicine.
This profession symbolizes medical laboratory practice. Whether it is by a medical specialist or a scientist the key is to diagnose a disease for a patient. The right diagnosis is the key and quality result is the way.
The only profession in the health sector where a patient can order the professional. The doctor said I should bring the result now. But the test takes a week to get results. Interesting!
A profession most patients and clients are ignorant of yet provide suggestions.
We love to educate our clients before starting the technical procedure.
We love being in the white coat (lab coat), pick patients sample, and process them till we get the results printed out. The cohesion and reliability of the result is superb.
This is a profession where clients hardly see us. Most at times we don’t see them in person as well. But we see them through their samples and results. Sometimes we call them to come for their results when it is urgent but they hardly see us. Most of the time we relate to them through the receptionist or a lab assistant. We feel for them yet they don’t see it. Neither do they feel for us.
What happens when a result shows a pathological (disease) condition is pathetic. When a patient’s result shows a serious malignant condition, what happens? When you see a slide of a child suffering from sickle cell disease what happens? There you will see scientists calling other colleagues to confirm. We feel so bad when we see some of these.
But we know hope is not lost when the results gets into the hand of a good medic. We get to know exactly what is wrong with the patient first before any other health professional gets to know.
Sometimes patients doubt the results likewise their doctor. Because in one way or the other, they hardly get to know what happens in the lab before a quality result is generated. Most at times they meet receptionists and lab assistants who are not technical persons and can’t relate to them well. They may not be able to answer most of their questions. They are unable to give them the right education.
They refer to them as lab technicians and generalize it for all lab professionals including the scientists, consultants as well as principals around.
Laboratory practice is interesting and annoying sometimes. When you can’t give results out as stipulated for a Turnaround Time (TAT) due to equipment breakdown. When your software for printing results fails to boot. Patients go mad on you and they will not listen.
A profession of principles and orderliness. A profession with laid down procedures. A profession with vision. Lab science is my profession.
It is worth celebrating these highly skilled professionals who make sure the correct diagnosis, right treatment, and management is assured.
It is worth celebrating these professional who risk their lives to grow, bacteria, viruses, fungus in the absence of some required equipment.
It is worth celebrating these professionals in Ghana who work so hard under no state protection or condition of service and yet are motivated to be one of the best in Africa.
In the absence of regulatory policies and quality control policies, we produce quality test results that benefits all clients.
We say ayekoo (Congratulations) to all laboratory professionals: technicians, scientists, specialists and consultants.
Ayekoo to all health professionals who put the patient’s interest first.
Ayekoo to all Ghana workers.
#labtests and more
By: Kyeremeh Evans (MLS)
Leading member of Concerning Medical Lab. Scientists (COMELS) and President of Patient Safety (PSA2)
[email protected]
Maxwell Akonde (MLS)
Leading member of COMELS
[email protected]
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana