The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) is threatening to strike if the Ministry of Health (MoH) does not make available to them Prof. Aryeetey committee report on Health Policy.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Association, Dennis Adu-Gyasi says the report by the committee has been ready since last year and a copy made available to the Health Minister since February of 2017, but the Ministry has refused to make available the report to the GAMLS.
In August last year, the association went on strike when the MoH refused to implement the National Health Laboratory policy document that had already been signed by the then Health Minister Sherry Ayittey.
But Former Health Minister, Alex Segbefiah had pleaded with the GAMLS to call off the strike and set up a three-member committee to look into the report and make recommendations that can be accepted and the policy implemented.
But months after the Prof Aryeetey’s committee report had been handed over to MoH, the association has not been given a copy.
The association wants MoH to make available the results by Wednesday or they will resume their strike action that they put on hold to make way for the committee to look at the policy.
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If you live in a country that about 85-90% of public laboratories do not perform quality quality control checks because there are no funds to buy reagents and control materials, then the financing of the laboratories need to be looked into. Controls, basically mean what we need to use on laboratory machines and processes to know with what level of certainty I am generating results. It helps the lab professional to know when your glucose level measured was wrong or correct and needs to be repeated. This helps to prevent telling patients they have diabetes, kidney problem and the rest when actually my system had errors. If ways to prevent this and many other challenges facing laboratory services are addressed in a policy funded by US government to the tune of 1 million dollars, why should Ghana suffer because medical doctors request to lord over laboratories? Play of power paaa nieee!!
How can a very sensitive area for that matter the backbone of evidence based medicine would be operating without a policy document? We always compare ourselves with the developed countries but refused to do what they are doing right. How can we continue doing the same thing over and over again and be expecting a different result? I must say that the launching of these documents and their implementation would be in the best interest of Ghanaians and anyone or group of people who dare(s) to impede the laughing and implementation of the policy documents should be considered ENEMY(IES) OF STATE and Ghanaians should rise against those ‘greedy bastards’. Why should professionals go on strike just because of policy document that would benefit ordinary Ghanaians? Any organization without a policy direction would be walking in darkness.
#LaunchTheLaboratoryPolicyDocumentsNow
The Laboratory is the most sensitive department in health delivery. When the laboratory result is wrong, the patient is in deep trouble because the doctor is going to treat the patient based on the lab result. How can such a sensitive area in healthcare delivery be without policy guidelines. Do Ghanaians want their health to be used as guinea pigs, always for experimenting? Patients are dying because of wrong diagnosis and the ministry sits unconcerned. Policy that will enhance the work of the laboratory for better services is being refused lunching and implementation. Why? Why are other professions in the health care delivery so keen on preventing the lunch and implementation of the policy? Don’t they want the health sector to grow? Should we be doing the same old ways of providing laboratory services? Ministry of health please sit up and reason with us, not with any selfish group of people who do not care about the health of the ordinary Ghanaian. Ghanaians derseve better laboratory services because it is their tax that is used in training the laboratory scientists who are ready to do the right thing. We will lay down our tools for the right thing to be done. #LUNCHTHELABORATORYDOCUMENTSNOW#
The solution is simple without the implementation of this policy we have to go on strike since that’s the language they understand!!
Comment: No policy no work period
Sometimes I wonder why people in authority play with the health of the poor. Is it because they have the luxuries of facilities they see as better outside the country. They should understand that people like them made the facilities better in their cou try for the to benefit.
Arise colleagues in the Lab. Let’s come together and fight for what we want.
#LUNCHTHELABORATORYDOCUMENTSNOW#
The medical laboratory services takes the center stage in modern health care delivery. The areas of diagnosis, research, quality assurance and quality control can not be effective without a policy guideline thus the need for the laboratory policy document implementation. The laboratory without a policy document is like someone suffering from CATARACT. #LUNCHTHELABPOLICYDOCUMENTNOW#.
Without a policy, standardization cant be achieved. Why do the “Big People” seek medical care in South Africa n Europe when they are sick and not stay to be treated in Ghana?
When other countries have policy to guide and gaurd service provision, a few in Ghana thinks its not neccessary since they can afford to be flown out to seek services, what happens to those of us who cant afford to even be transported out of my village in Gbimsi to seek laboratory services.
I believe the Ministries have to look at this issue with urgency.For once i see Ghana working again. Workers threatening strike not because of salary or allowances but a “POLICY”.
#GHANA_WILL_WORK_AGAIN
Comment:Common Laboratory policy which is essential for good healthcare delivery to ordinary Ghanaians can’t be launched & implemented, how much more demanding for Condition of Service which the medical doctors are already enjoying.