Medical laboratory scientist and broadcast journalist Dr Emmanuel Raphael Samani has declared his intention to contest the position of General Secretary of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) for the 2026–2028 term.

Dr Samani says his campaign will focus on making the association more visible, responsive and influential in decisions affecting the medical laboratory profession.

Declaring his intention to contest, he said medical laboratory scientists must translate their critical role in patient care into greater influence in policy and institutional decision-making.

“We cannot be indispensable in the clinical setting and invisible at the table,” he said.

Dr Samani, who has almost a decade of experience in laboratory practice in haematology and clinical chemistry, currently works at the Ghana Armed Forces Critical Care and Emergency Hospital.

He believes the General Secretary’s role should extend beyond keeping records and coordinating correspondence to becoming the operational centre of a more responsive professional association.

“The General Secretary runs the machinery: the communication, the records, the coordination, the follow-through,” he said. “Run it well and the profession is heard. Run it slowly and it is not.”

His proposed reforms include a 72-hour rapid-response rule for matters affecting members, a digitised membership register, transparent reporting of membership dues and a standing engagement calendar with key institutions including the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Parliament’s Health Committee and the profession’s regulator.

He has also outlined a first-100-days plan that includes an audit of the secretariat’s records, a tracker on the implementation of congress resolutions and a written report to members at the end of the first 100 days.

Dr Samani says the measures are intended to ensure that campaign promises translate into measurable actions and accountability.

Beyond his laboratory practice, Dr Samani has built a public profile through broadcasting and advocacy on issues affecting the medical laboratory profession.

His experience in journalism has provided him with a platform to bring professional concerns to a wider audience and engage policymakers and the public on issues surrounding laboratory medicine.

During the recent impasse between laboratory physicians and medical laboratory scientists, he convened and hosted a discussion on laboratory leadership which attracted about 1,700 live listeners and more than 2,000 replays.

He has subsequently continued to use his media platforms to highlight issues affecting medical laboratory scientists.

Dr Samani believes his combined experience in laboratory science and communication could help GAMLS strengthen its public engagement and institutional advocacy.

He holds a Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science from the University for Development Studies, an MSc in Communication and International Marketing from KNUST and a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Cape Coast.

He is also an anchor on JoyNews and has previously been a finalist for the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.

Dr Samani says his ambition is to strengthen GAMLS as an institution rather than make its effectiveness dependent on an individual leader.

“No association should depend on the courage of one man with one job,” he said. “That is the fragility I am running to fix. When GAMLS speaks under me, it will speak institutionally, with evidence attached.”

He argues that the association needs systems that ensure consistent communication, follow-through on decisions, and sustained engagement with institutions responsible for policies affecting the profession.

The GAMLS national elections are scheduled for November 6, 2026, during the association’s National Congress.