Biomedical Laboratory Scientists are entrusted with the onerous assignment of providing quality diagnosis that is at the centre of treatment and management of diseases.

But there are challenges in professional practice which impede efficient service delivery.

The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABMLS) at its 3^rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting highlighted some challenges in quality laboratory service delivery:

Policy environment

In 2010, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with support from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta-USA constituted the Laboratory Technical Committee (LTC) to develop the National Health Laboratory Policy and National Health Laboratory Accreditation Policy.

In addition, a five year Strategic Plan document for the implementation of these policies were completed, finalized and endorsed by the Health Ministry in 2013.

The documents are however yet to be implemented.

The GABMLS has acknowledged recent efforts by the Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) unit of the Ministry of Health to ensure the policies do not remain on the shelves.

But the Association says the absence of policy guidelines is detrimental to the delivery of quality health care in the country.

“It will be highly unacceptable and suicidal to allow the financial and technical investment made by CDC into developing the three documents to go waste,” it said.

Health Capitation

The GABMLS is gravely concerned with the capitation and bundled tariff system by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for which medical laboratory services are bundled with consultation fees.

“This bundled tariff system is very inimical to the practice, growth and promotion of quality medical laboratory services in Ghana especially in the district and sub-district hospitals,” according to the Association.

It has therefore called on the NHIA and the government to ensure that medical laboratory service tariffs are de-bundled from consultation fees as a matter of urgency.

This, the group believes, will ensure adequate funding for laboratory reagents and consumables to provide uninterrupted quality laboratory diagnostic service that will enhance quality health care delivery in hospitals.

Unqualified personnel

The GABMLS has observed in the recent recruitment of health workers by the Ghana Health Service, some unqualified personnel were recruited into medical laboratories of some district hospitals, especially in the Upper East region and some Mission hospitals in the Northern region.

The Association has called on Human Resource Directorate of the GHS, the Upper East Regional Health Directorate and Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) to ensure that the appointments of all unqualified persons are revoked immediately.

It has also urged the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) to as a matter of urgency investigate the reports, and to bring facilities that engage unqualified personnel in their laboratories to book to serve as a deterrent.