The Ghana Health Service has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening medical laboratory services as a critical pillar for achieving Universal Health Coverage, with renewed emphasis on quality improvement, sustainable financing, effective human resource management, and ethical leadership.
The pledge was reiterated by Director-General Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea at the 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers, Ghana, held under the theme “Advancing Quality Medical Laboratory Services Through Sustainable Financing and Human Resource Management.”
Quality Gaps and Accreditation Challenges
Dr. Kaba offered a candid assessment of Ghana’s laboratory services, noting that virtually every clinical diagnosis, blood transfusion, and treatment decision depends on accurate laboratory results. Despite progress, he revealed that of the 25 public laboratories currently undergoing accreditation, only four have attained accredited status. He challenged managers to strengthen quality improvement systems and achieve higher ratings under the SLIPTA accreditation framework.
Ethical Leadership and Governance
Issuing a strong caution against practices that undermine public confidence, Dr. Kaba condemned deliberate neglect of public laboratory equipment, diversion of reagents, and patient referrals to private facilities for personal gain. He urged managers to enforce Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM), eliminate unqualified operators, and safeguard public assets procured with taxpayers’ funds. He also stressed aligning postgraduate training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) with career progression and organizational needs.
Policy Directions and Financing
Delivering remarks on behalf of Health Minister Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Dr. Ignatius Abowini Awinibunoy underscored the centrality of quality laboratory services to clinical decision-making, disease surveillance, and public health interventions. He highlighted policy efforts to improve financial sustainability, including collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the National Health Insurance Authority to enhance reimbursement rates, ring-fence reagent lines, and leverage public-private partnerships.
Diagnostic Gaps and Financing Models
Keynote speaker Dr. Laud Anthony Basing, Founder and CEO of Incas Diagnostics, presented a data-driven analysis of Ghana’s diagnostic gap. Research across 89 laboratories revealed stark disparities: while hospital pharmacies faced average stockouts of 24 days annually, public laboratories endured reagent shortages averaging 161 days per year, resulting in an estimated annual revenue loss of GH₵ 56,000 per laboratory. Dr. Basing advocated for protected diagnostic funding lines, mandatory training in procurement and supply chain management, and deliberate investments in human resource capacity.
Stakeholder Engagement
The AGM convened laboratory managers, policymakers, health leaders, development partners, and stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for strengthening laboratory services nationwide. Discussions underscored the urgency of treating laboratories not as cost centers but as vital entities requiring sustainable financing and strategic management.
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