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The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABLS) has opposed what it described as attempts by the college of physicians and surgeons to take over the management of medical laboratories.

Speaking to Citi news the President of the association after a meeting of the association, Thomas Kwabena Gyampomah indicated that the management of laboratories is a specialized area which does not fall within the domain of doctors.

“If you look at the structure of medicine as it is now in the factories medical laboratory does not fall under it, so it appears to be an absurdity for doctors to now say that they are going to specialize in medical laboratory,” he said.

Mr. Thomas Kwabena Gyampomah added the decision, if not checked, is likely to affect the already healthcare delivery in the country.

“What it means is that the already sad situation we have on our hands with respect to the large doctor to patient ratio is now going to be getting worse off because most of the doctors will now be attracted to become specialists in laboratories and then their main focus will not be going to focus on the main laboratory job but just come and manage the laboratory,” he added.

In a statement, the group called for a swift action to adopt and implement the five –year National Health Laboratory Policy and the National Health Laboratory Accreditation Policy developed by a Laboratory Technical Committee set up by the Ghana Health Service with support from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of Atlanta – USA.

The association also called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to de-bundle medical laboratory tariffs from consultation fees as this would ensure adequate funding for laboratory regents and consumables to assure patients of quality diagnostic services at the health facilities.

The Association further asked the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to rectify all outstanding issues about the migration of its members onto the Single Spine Pay Policy.