General Secretary of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS), Michael Amo Omar, says most laboratory centres in the country are owned and operated by unqualified technicians.
He made the revelation in an interview on Adom FM’s anti-corruption segment, “Fabewoso”, with host Kofi Adoma.
According to Mr Omar, leadership of GAMLS has directed its members to withdraw all laboratory services because they believe they have been sidelined by the government.
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He told Kofi Adoma that till now, there exists no directorate in the Health Ministry for laboratory practice to coordinate the activities of GAMLS hence patients have no alternative than to seek services of “quack” lab doctors.
According to him, it is difficult to understand why the Ministry of Health will ignore the needs of GAMLS when they generate most of the income in various government hospitals.
“We have sidelined the labs in Ghana. The resources that are supposed to be used are not distributed. In the health sector we have directorates but in the lab there are none so there is no one coordinating it…’ he said.
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“In the past, there were no laws protecting the profession. Now we have entomology, oceanology, and even some agricultural graduates working in the lab. The law requires that you have a license from Allied Health council but many practitioners don’t have same.