OF POLITICAL MANIFESTO PROMISES AND THE NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL LEVELHEADEDNESS

In my last epistle, I drew attention to how far we have come, relative to the ‘competition’ by both GMA/GCPS and MSSG to have strong stakes in the governance and practice of medical laboratory science in Ghana, with a backdrop of a recent letter from the Director of Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR), which aims at ‘unseating’ Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS), as the sole body concerned with medical laboratory practice in Ghana. Feedback from a section of our membership after my last epistle, sought to know the conclusion arrived at from the 3 member Prof Ernest Aryeetey fact finding Committee, as presented to the honorable Health Minister for his necessary action. I therefore present them as brief as possible, so that I can proceed with the subject matter as found in the title of this latest epistle.

So after taking accounts from the various stakeholders including documents in defence of their respective positions on the National Health Laboratory Policy (NHLP), the Prof Aryeetey Committee concluded its report as follows;

• All the stakeholders agreed on the urgent need to have a NHLP and these sentiments were expressed voluntarily during the Committee hearings.

• The major points of disagreements are;

1. who should be allowed to work in the laboratories.
2. who can head the various levels of medical laboratories.
3. who should regulate the personnel who work in the laboratories.

• Need for the creation of a Directorate at the Ministry of Health to oversee medical laboratory services.

• Need for the establishment of a National Health Laboratory Accreditation Board in the light of the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA).

• Review is needed for the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies (HPRB) Act 857, 2013 in order to clarify or specify the legal scope of practice of allied health professions (in this case medical laboratory science practitioners) and medical doctor practice respectively.

• Alternatively, the Minister of Health based on the advice of the health regulatory bodies, may by a Legislative Instrument (L.I) seek to address the seeming areas of overlap of health professions whose scope of practice straddle the legal mandate of two or more regulatory institutions.

• There is the need for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among all regulatory bodies and the management of hospitals and other health institutions, in order to clearly define job descriptions by taking critical look at the role of Laboratory Physicians and Medical Laboratory Scientists in order to forestall role conflicts.

Good folks, it is quite clear that the Prof Aryeetey Committee has executed its mandate with all the justice and fairness that are required and what is expected now is for the Minister for Heath to marshall the political will in actualizing the recommendations made. Failure to do so however breeds impunity and a false sense of entitlement from certain health professional groups, to run medical laboratory practice in Ghana. Invariably, the prevailing lack of action on these recommendations amounts to a veritable waste of scarce tax payers’ resources on the Committee’s work and the end loser will be the ordinary Ghanaian. Health is wealth and harnessing human capital is key to sustainable development of any nation.

The largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, on Monday the 7^th September 2020, outdoored its manifesto to use in steering the affairs of Ghana, if it becomes successful at December 7^th general polls. Captured in this document which is now public, are interesting pledges which seek to address the needs and aspirations of the various trade unions and other representative bodies of Ghanaians. Not missing out also are the promises to establish two National Infectious Disease Centers and the creation of a Medical Laboratory Council. Naturally, this resulted into an euphoric reaction from majority of GAMLS members, leading to an obvious need for us to close our ranks and fully embrace this intention from the NDC.

Despite needless agitations and calls for restraint by some members in openly commending the NDC, GAMLS through its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr Dennis Adu Gyasi, issued a public statement congratulating the party for those medical laboratory specific manifesto ambitions. It is very unfortunate that despite our incessant mass media advocacies for the ‘powers that be’ to implement the NHLP and related documents in recent times, signals from the authorities remain largely indifferent. It is therefore very strange that a section of GAMLS would rather choose to attack and impugn the good person of the GAMLS PRO for putting out the statement.

The writer wonders how such individuals expect to maintain the dignity of the medical laboratory profession in the prevailing circumstances and foreseeable future, if such bold political intentions are not welcomed. It is worthy of note that irrespective of one’s political persuasion or sympathies, political regimes will come and go, but various professions will still remain. It is therefore incumbent upon us to have a great sense of levelheadedness, eschew entrenched political biases and rather support our common goal. The NDC medical laboratory manifesto promise may appear like a holy grail and besides, manifestos are generally not legal contracts to which anybody can hold parties to account should they  backtrack on them when they assume power. However, such an open declaration by GAMLS, which was similarly done by Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and other interest public and private bodies, leads to maintenance of hope for a better future and a wakeup call for the government of the day, to do the needful!

If we want to climb the highest mountain or even fly over it as a profession, we need to keep lacing our boots and working on our wings to fly when we get there. The actions or inactions of some detractors within our profession, are however suicidal and would not inure to our good if we do not nip them in the bud. A house divided against itself will certainly fall and no well-meaning medical laboratorian is prepared for that fate!

MLS EMMANUEL TOBOH (Manny) writes…..

(14/09/2020)