![\"medical-laboratory-scientist-2\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Medical-laboratory-scientist-2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThe Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS ), is worried about what it calls the emergence of unauthorized laboratories in the country.<\/p>\n
According to the Association, the activities of these unauthorized labs are negatively impacting health delivery in the country.<\/p>\n
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President of the Ghana Association of Laboratory Scientists, Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno, lamented that many of such unauthorized laboratories had untrained personnel undertaking various services, posing a great threat to the health of innocent citizens who visit such laboratories for tests and other medical assistance.<\/p>\n
Dr. Awinibuno was speaking to Citi News<\/strong>\u00a0on the sidelines of the Association’s annual National Congress and first National Health Laboratory Summit in the Eastern Region on the theme, “Strengthening Health Laboratory Services and Systems, Key to achieving the health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs).<\/p>\n “A lot of Ghanaians are at risk of having their specimen being examined by unqualified laboratory scientists because of the influx of unauthorized and unlicensed laboratories which have sprung up in the country. Most of these new laboratories have untrained personnel posing as laboratory scientists…We know that medical doctors largely depend on the outcome of our results before they conduct any surgery or prescribe medications to patients, so if the lives of these innocent Ghanaians are in the hands of unqualified laboratory scientists then we are not safe,” he said.<\/p>\n “Their activities have become a threat to our healthcare delivery, and government must step in to sanction them for sanity to prevail,” he added.<\/p>\n Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno also bemoaned the lack of representation of the medical laboratory scientists in central authority, and all tiers of health management and administration in the country.<\/p>\n “No member of our Association has ever been made a director of Health Services in this country even though some members have the necessary requirements, qualification, and experience to hold the position of Director of Health Services. As an Association, we believe we are not being treated fairly, and we want to draw government’s attention to it,” he noted.<\/p>\n He thus called on government to give the Association a fair representation on the Governing Boards, Councils and Agencies, and also implement the National Health Laboratory Policy, National Health Laboratory Strategic Plan, and the National Health Accreditation Policy which are policies which were developed, documented, acknowledged and signed by the then Director General of Health Services, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, and the then Minister of Health, Hon. Sherry Ayittey in 2013.<\/p>\n “Documents on these policies were drafted, supervised and signed by Madame Sherry Ayittey the former Minister of Health, and Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, the immediate past Director of Health Services as far back in 2013, and the documents are gathering dirt on a desk at the Ministry. Government’s inability to implement these policies is crippling and rendering our activities as an Association, and we again want to draw government’s attention to this also because we want to manage our affairs and control our money and resources.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, has assured the Association of Government’s readiness to implement the National Health Laboratory Policy (NHLP) in the first quarter of 2018.<\/p>\n “A number of issues and differences between other member bodies has caused the delay in implementing the National Health Laboratory Policy, but as I speak now, work has already began by the Ministry to solve the impasse hindering the policy implementation, and in the first quarter of 2018, the National Health Laboratory Policy and other policies tabled by your Association, will be duly implemented. The government recognizes your immense contribution to our health delivery systems in this country, and as such, Government is ready to assist your Association with whatever you need to make you work for the betterment of our country,” he said.<\/p>\n – The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS ), is worried about what it calls the emergence of unauthorized laboratories in the country. According to the Association, the activities of these unauthorized labs are negatively impacting health delivery in the country. President of the Ghana Association of Laboratory Scientists, Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno, lamented that many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":368469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[3,1727,2090],"yoast_head":"\n![\"medical-laboratory-scientist-1\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Medical-laboratory-scientist-1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"medical-laboratory-scientist-5\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Medical-laboratory-scientist-5.jpeg\")
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\nBy: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"