Private laboratory facilities are profiting as patients are forced to pay higher fees for lab services due to the ongoing strike by the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU). 

This strike has significantly impacted major public health facilities in the Ashanti Region, causing a surge in demand for private labs.

Patients are expressing frustration over the steep costs associated with accessing laboratory services during the strike. 

On the third day of the strike, the situation has worsened, with many patients alarmed by the additional financial burden.

The strike has led to widespread calls from patients urging the government and relevant stakeholders to address the Union's grievances. 

Patients are seeking immediate action to alleviate the financial strain and other challenges resulting from the strike.

The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union initiated the strike to draw attention to their demands, which they feel have been ignored for too long.

A patient stated “The fees charged were too much so I had to go back to the doctor and told him that I couldn’t afford the labs directed, so he cancelled everything. What if I had a severe problem but now, I wouldn’t know because of the fee? So, I had to pay ¢900 just for the lab.”

Meanwhile, private lab facilities like Ellolab are seeing a surge in clients as they serve as alternatives to public medical laboratories at places like Manhyia and Tafo Government hospitals, which remain closed.

In an interview with the media, Ebenezer Wireko, the General Manager of Ellolab, noted that the strike presents an opportunity for his and other private lab facilities to generate revenue, emphasising that the charges at Ellolab are moderate.

“The strike on the public laboratory has a positive impact on us because we can see that the number of patients that we are receiving has increased due to the strike so as a private facility, the strike has really had a positive impact on us.”