Professor Samuel Essien-Baidoo, President of the Ghana Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), has warned that Ghana’s vision of establishing a 24-hour health economy may be jeopardized if medical laboratory managers continue to be excluded from key decision-making processes.
Speaking passionately during his keynote address at the Annual General Meeting of the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers, Prof. Essien-Baidoo who is also the Dean at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) emphasized that laboratory professionals are no longer merely technical support staff, but vital contributors to building a responsive, ethical, and resilient healthcare system.
“We risk undermining our healthcare system if we do not act swiftly to address this issue,” he cautioned. “Whether it involves supporting a 24-hour health economy, leading diagnostics at the primary care level, or shaping data-driven policies, the role of the medical laboratory manager is not optional—it is vital.”
Korle Bu Incident as a Wake-Up Call
Prof. Essien-Baidoo expressed concern that only two teaching hospitals in Ghana have appointed Directors of Allied Health Services, despite existing legal and policy support for these positions. He pointed to recent disputes at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where qualified laboratory scientists were reportedly marginalised as a “serious governance failure.”
“It is disheartening to witness clauses deliberately designed to block competent laboratory professionals from pursuing leadership roles. This is not only unethical but also dangerous,” he asserted.
Call for Strategic Policy Reforms
He stressed the urgent need to redefine laboratory managers’ roles as strategic leaders, rather than merely custodians of diagnostic tools and data.
“Leadership must extend beyond the laboratory bench. It must be visionary, ethical, and policy oriented capable of influencing institutional culture,” he emphasized.
Prof. Essien-Baidoo urged the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and private sector stakeholders to accelerate reforms that will require the inclusion of laboratory managers in hospital leadership teams and governance structures.
Time to Rise, Time to Reform
Praising the Society for hosting the AGM, he concluded with an inspiring call to members:
“Let us rise to the challenge. Let us stay grounded in the laws that empower us, guided by the ethics of our profession, and inspired by our mission, so that we can fully contribute to national development.”
Source: Ivy Priscilla Setordjie.
