The Korle-Bu Chapter of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists has hit back at allegations that it lacks the expertise to manage its own professional space, describing such claims as a direct insult to its members’ integrity.
The association is vigorously disputing assertions made by the Korle-Bu Doctors Association (KODA), which claimed that excluding laboratory physicians from the hospital’s Central Laboratory is undermining both healthcare delivery and specialist training.
Speaking on the Frontline programme on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the General Secretary, Dr Abdul Hakam Abubakar, rejected these allegations and issued a stern warning against coordinated efforts to discredit laboratory professionals.
Dr Abubakar emphasised that the medical laboratory science sector has evolved significantly, producing highly trained specialists and consultants.
Many of these professionals, he noted, have earned specialist qualifications from the West African College of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria, while others hold PhDs or serve as professors.
He argued that the profession has matured to a point where it possesses the internal capacity to govern its own operations independently.
For the association, the suggestion that they cannot manage their own department is not only factually incorrect but a slight against their professional standing.
To ensure the highest standards of accuracy, Dr Abubakar explained that laboratories operate under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) designed to validate and revalidate results.
These troubleshooting measures and quality control mechanisms are in place to ensure that all findings meet the necessary clinical requirements.
He specifically refuted the narrative that laboratory results frequently fail to align with clinical findings, noting that even when a result deviates from a doctor’s initial diagnosis, there are established protocols to investigate the discrepancy.
Furthermore, Dr Abubakar highlighted the long-standing collaboration between scientists and doctors at Korle-Bu, stressing that effective healthcare relies on mutual respect and teamwork.
He observed that while doctors occasionally make incorrect diagnoses, laboratory scientists do not use those errors as a pretext to attack their colleagues’ integrity.
He further challenged the scientific premise that a laboratory result must always mirror a clinical diagnosis.
Addressing the practice of referring laboratory tests to private facilities, Dr Abubakar alleged that some doctors bypass the hospital’s internal services because they receive financial commissions and tips from private businessmen.
He stated that it is false to claim these referrals are made solely due to deteriorating internal standards.
On the contrary, he pointed out that the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital laboratory holds the prestigious ISO 15189 certification, a feat achieved through rigorous international and local accreditation processes that would have been impossible if the staff were underqualified or the results unreliable.
The General Secretary suggested that there are deeper underlying issues at play. He argued that if the medical community truly sought a resolution, they would have engaged in professional dialogue rather than public criticism.
He vowed that any future attempts to malign the profession or accuse scientists of issuing false results would be forcefully resisted.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
