The Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professions (GFAHP) has expressed disappointment in the management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
According to GFAHP, there are attempts by the management to disturb peace and tranquility in the country by posting physicians to work in medical laboratories.
They condemned the attempt to forcefully post uncertified professionals to various medical laboratories and described it as illegal, unnecessary and uncalled for.
“The attempt to undermine the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies (HPRB) Act, 2013, Act 857 and Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC), will be resisted by all allied health professionals in this country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, according to both part one (AHPC) and part two
(MDC) of Act 857, no health professional can practice in any medical laboratory in this country without certification by AHPC. The role and job description of physicians are clearly defined under part two, section 50 of Act 857,” the group said in the statement.
They added: “Additionally, nowhere did the Act mention that Physicians or any other person can walk into any medical laboratory to practice. All professionals who intend to practice must apply to AHPC for certification.”
Their comment comes on the back of an ongoing sit-down strike by lab workers at the hospital since Wednesday, May 19, 2021.
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The sit-down strike, according to them, is to protest the failure of the hospital’s Management to reassign two medical officers who were posted to the department some two years ago.
A development GFAHP has bemoaned is a repetition of what happened at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital years back which resulted in confrontation between the staff of Central Laboratory Services and some physicians posted to the laboratory.
“The management of KATH must be reminded that quality healthcare delivery is hinged on the critical core value of team work based on mutual respect and support for each other.
“We, therefore, demand that management of KATH should do everything possible to resolve this by respecting the uniqueness of all health professions in the hospital in order to forestall an escalation of the current impasse,” the statement further urged.
Meanwhile, they have entreated the Ministry of Health to intervene and remind the management of KATH to respect all health professions to ensure industrial harmony.