The President of the Ghana Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), Professor Samuel Essien-Baidoo, has cautioned that Ghana’s ambition for a 24-hour health economy could fail if medical laboratory managers remain excluded from decision-making structures.
Delivering a passionate keynote at the Annual General Meeting of the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers, Prof. Essien-Baidoo, who also serves as Dean at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), declared that lab professionals are no longer just technical support—they are essential architects of a responsive, ethical, and resilient healthcare system.
“We risk crashing our healthcare system if we do not take steps now to correct this,” he warned. “Whether it’s supporting a 24-hour health economy, leading diagnostics at the primary level, or driving data-informed policy, the role of the medical laboratory manager is not optional—it is central.”
Korle Bu Incident a Wake-Up Call
Prof. Essien-Baidoo lamented that only two teaching hospitals in Ghana have appointed Directors of Allied Health Services, despite legal and policy backing for such positions. He cited recent controversies at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital—where qualified lab scientists were allegedly sidelined—as a “serious failure of governance.”
“It is disappointing to see clauses deliberately inserted to prevent competent laboratory professionals from applying for leadership roles. That is not just unethical—it’s dangerous,” he stated.
Call for Strategic Policy Reforms
He emphasized the urgent need to redefine the role of laboratory managers as strategic leaders rather than mere custodians of diagnostic equipment and data.
“Leadership must go beyond the bench. It must be visionary, ethical, and policy-driven—capable of shaping institutional culture,” he noted.
Prof. Essien-Baidoo called on the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and private sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms that will mandate the inclusion of laboratory managers in hospital directorates and governance frameworks.
Time to Rise, Time to Reform
Commending the Society for organizing the AGM, he concluded with a rallying call to members:
“Let us rise to the occasion. Let us remain grounded in the laws that empower us, guided by the ethics of our profession, and inspired in our mission, so we can contribute wholeheartedly to national development.”
Source: Ivy Priscilla Setordjie
READ ALSO:
