HIV, Syphilis contaminated blood saga: We could do better with the laws!!

Test methods for screening and diagnosing biological samples could be prone to errors. Standards are needed to be put in place to be sure such errors are minimized if not eliminated during testing.

It has become habitual to use people as scapegoats anytime we want others to learn about something. Why do we wait to always make people falter and suffer when we could have gone in to mitigate the situation before disaster strikes?

The Health Facility at the center of the “HIV contaminated” blood saga, has come under fire for retesting blood for transfusion that had been received for one of its patients. Irrespective of what protocols require, in my view, it is good practice to basically cross check something before use.

The health facility could have used test kits different from what the primary facility used. That could have also given out different results. Who would have been blamed?

There are numerous tests kits and reagents for HIV and Syphilis testing on our markets. No one seems to be interested in how they are made and even perform. The extent to which such kits and reagents give FALSE results are no one’s business. Everyone procures without control and regulations. Any of such inferior kits could have been used and given false results.

Instead of using the occurrence to institute measures and standards in our health delivery system, pointing accusing fingers has become the order of the day.

All of a sudden, regulators have found the mouth to speak. They have sat unconcerned with the excuse of lack of resources and never functioned.

Our ports have been so porous that every substandard medical testing device goes through without worrying. Regular checks of facilities to be sure they apply the required standards never happen. Who handles patients is never a concern to the watchers we have created with laws.

The US Government with the Ministry of Health, Ghana developed and accepted a National Health Laboratory Policy in Ghana to make sure errors in the performance of medical laboratory testing are minimized if not eliminated. This has been supported by the International Standards (ISO GS 15189:2027) adopted by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for the practice of medical laboratory profession in Ghana. Unfortunately, as a nation, we have decided to decorate such documents and pride ourselves as having standards on paper than to make them benefit the populace.

The medical laboratory professionals have over the years fought for such standards to be implemented to benefit every Ghanaian who seek care in our health facilities but all to no avail. The goal posts have been shifted over the years anytime such calls are made.

I only hope the duty bearers will think about Ghanaians and not be continuously selfish. They can seek care for their health while they hold power but they should know that the systems they are neglecting today will be needed to stabilize them before referral to the best systems they cherish.

I will advise them to pay attention to us and make hay while the sun shines.

I have personally seen the good health care delivered by KEAN Medical Center. Instead of flexing muscles to collapse the establishment, authorities will have to take the opportunity of the “contaminated blood saga” and correct the proliferation of substandard medical laboratory testing devices and reagents in Ghana.

Ghanaians deserve better!!