Private medical laboratory workers have urged government to resolve the impasse with their public counterparts that has seen the latter laid down their tools since Monday.

The Association of Private Medical Laboratories, Ghana, (APML), said in a statement that the deadlock has dragged for too long which is detrimental to efficient health delivery.

“APML, Ghana wishes to state that the nationwide strike by the Medical Laboratory Scientists, led by the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS), has been allowed to go on for too long to the detriment of the health delivery system in Ghana,” the statement said in part.

According to them, they cannot work effectively should the public sector workers remain on strike.

“Pregnant women, emergency surgery patients, children and the aged would be the ones to suffer most when public sector arms like the Blood Banks, the Sickle Cell Clinics and the Diabetic Clinics… are non-functional” they said.

The Association further argues that “it is expedient for the Health Minister to resolve the impasse by dialoguing with the leadership of GAMLS to arrive at a consensus that would be functional and long lasting”.

Click here for full statement from APML Ghana.

Background

Public Medical laboratory scientists withdrew their services indefinitely at across the country in protest of salary discrepancies which they say have existed for about six years, after the introduction of the Single Spine Pay Policy under the Attah Mills-led government.

Joy News checks at Korle Bu show that lab scientists have not turned up for work, which has this action has left patients stranded at the Central Laboratory at the KBTH.

Wednesday, negotiations to end the industrial action broke down over an 'infuriating' comment by the representative of the health minister.

The leadership of GAMLS was irked by the advisor to the Health minister Dr Baffour Awuah who, during a misunderstanding with the reps of the striking workers, decided to defer to the minister whom he was representing in the meeting.

'If that is the case then I am going to give the draft to the minister' he is reported to have said.

The draft was a Memorandum of Understanding which has taken two days to prepare since the strike began Monday.

The draft was prepared by the laboratory scientists but while combing through it, the advisor was unhappy with some additions and wanted to defer to the minister, the Health ministry PRO Robert Cudjoe said on Joy FM's Top Story.

Meanwhile, a lot more patients who are unaware of the strike continue to get stranded at public facilities across the country.