The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) is calling on government to reward and recognise medical laboratory professionals as frontline staff.

“Medical Laboratory professionals continue to make significant contributions to the fight against COVID-19 in areas of sample collection, transport, testing and research in our laboratories across the country. The invaluable contribution of Medical Laboratory professionals must be recognised and fully rewarded as frontline staff,” GAMLS stated.

After deliberations and developments in the health sector and matters affecting the practice of medical laboratory in Ghana, GAMLS established that there is unjustifiable delay in providing Public Health/Clinical Laboratories in Ghana including GHS/ Quasi/ CHAG facilities with PCR and GeneXpert equipment as well as consumables needed to test for COVID 19 in all Teaching and Regional Hospital laboratories across the country as provided for in Ghana’s approved National Preparedness Plan and Strategy.

The Association therefore recommended that an urgent action is required to resolve the above challenge to improve turn-around-time for testing and treating COVID 19.

Below is a statement:

GHANA ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS

IN CASE OF REPLY THE NUMBER ANDNATIONAL SECRETARIAT

DATE OF THIS LETTER SHOULD BE QUOTEDP.o BOX KB 144

KORI-E-BU, ACCRA our Ref…GAMLS/NS/PS/2QTR-NEC/08/2020cell: 0243281888/0271029667

Tel/Fax (+233)030 2680011

YourE-mail:[email protected]

Website:www.qamls.orq

PRESS STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE

GHANA ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS SECOND

OUARTER MEETING HELD ON THE 6^TH AUGUST. 2020

Preamble

The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) is the sole professional body of all medical laboratory professionals in Ghana, registered in accordance with the Professional Bodies Registration Decree, NRCD 143 of 1973 with registration number PB-2 on 25^th July 1973.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of Ghana Association of Medical laboratory Scientists having met on 6^th August, 2020 and deliberated extensively on developments in the health sector and matters affecting the practice of medical laboratory in Ghana hereby made the following observations.

1. That Medical Laboratory professionals continue to make significant contributions to the fight against COVID-19 in areas of sample collection, transport, testing and research in our laboratories across the country. The invaluable contribution of Medical Laboratory professionals must be recognised and fully rewarded as frontline staff.
2. That there is unjustifiable delay in providing Public Health/Clinical Laboratories in Ghana including GHS/ Quasi/ CHAG facilities with PCR and GeneXpert equipment as well as consumables needed to test for COVID 19 in all Teaching and Regional Hospital laboratories across the country as provided for in Ghana’s approved National Preparedness Plan and Strategy. An urgent action is required to resolve the above challenge to improve turn-around-time for testing and treating COVID 19.
3. That Government recently granted financial clearance to some healthcare professionals and must be commended. However, this financial clearance excluded medical laboratory professionals who are urgently needed to improve the understaffing challenges currently plaguing public health laboratories across our Country. This poses a threat to efforts aimed at achieving Ghana’s Healthcare targets.
4. That the continuous neglect by the government to implement the National Health Laboratory,

National Health Laboratory Accreditation Policy and National Health Laboratory Strategic Plan

MEMBERINTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF BIOMEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE (IFBLS)

FEDERATION OF AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS (FAAMLS)

CLINICAL AND LABORATORY STANDARDS INSTITUTE (CLSI)

GHANA FEDERATION OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS (GFAHP)

documents since 2013 will continue to cost Ghana a great deal in future disease outbreaks as witnessed in the current COVID 19 Pandemic. We call on the Ministry of Health to address this as matter of urgency for the well-being of our citizens.

The National Executive Officers of the GAMLS therefore resolve to engage government to find resolution/ finality to the above pertinent issues and report to the National Executive Council within three weeks. An emergency National Executive Council meeting will be held on 4^th September, 2020 to consider the next line of action in respect of the concerns.

That the Annual National Congress for the Association will hold from the 13^th -17^th October, 2020 in the Western Region of Ghana under the theme: Building a Self— Reliant Healthcare Industry: lessonsfrom the Covid-19 Era.

        Dr Ignatius A. Awinibuno                                  MLS Mich el Amo Omari

                  (President)                                                                   (General Secretary)

DATED: 14^th August, 2020

MEMBERINTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF BIOMEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE (IFBLS)

FEDERATION OF AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS (FAAMLS)

CLINICAL AND LABORATORY STANDARDS INSTITUTE (CLSI)

GHANA FEDERATION OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS (GFAHP)

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