Top health officials have called for the full recognition and integration of medical laboratory professionals into Ghana’s healthcare governance and decision-making structures.
The call was made at the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers (SMLM-G), held at the Stevens Hotel in Ho.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, the Director of Clinical Services commended the Society for its choice of theme, describing it as both timely and crucial.
“The involvement of medical laboratory managers in hospital management is not optional — it is a necessity for effective healthcare delivery in Ghana,” he stressed.
He noted that access to accurate and timely data is central to quality care, adding that excluding laboratory professionals from key decision-making weakens both operational efficiency and health outcomes.
“Information is crucial. When key health actors meet and a group as essential as laboratory professionals is not represented, it exposes a structural oversight that must be corrected,” he said.
Also addressing the gathering, Volta Regional Minister Hon. James Gunu echoed the call for reforms in health sector leadership. He said lab professionals are too often sidelined despite being critical to healthcare quality and efficiency.
“We are truly passionate about life. Let us build a health system where lab managers are not an afterthought, but a cornerstone — present in policy, strategy, and governance at every level,” Mr. Gunu said.
He urged government and health stakeholders to adopt a more inclusive, data-driven approach to reform, stressing that health service delivery cannot be fully achieved without the expertise and leadership of lab professionals.
“Let us not just participate. Let us act as true stakeholders, driving innovation, mentorship, and collaboration — and ensuring every professional voice is heard,” he added.
The AGM brought together hundreds of lab professionals, policymakers, administrators, and development partners to reflect on how to empower laboratory professionals as leaders in healthcare reform.
As Ghana works toward Universal Health Coverage and Agenda 2050, stakeholders at the AGM were unanimous: the country cannot afford to leave behind the professionals who generate the data that drives diagnosis, treatment, and public health response.
Source: Ivy Priscilla Setordjie
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