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COMBINED ACCOUNT IS KILLING LABORATORY SERVICES IN GHANA - MELPWU
VOLTA/OTI Regions 2023 May Day celebration saw the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union, MELPWU for the first time joined other workers Union in Ho to mark the celebration under the theme; "Protecting income and pensions in an era of economic crisis: our responsibility.
As part of the messages to the government and stakeholders, during the celebration, the Volta Regional Financial Secretary of the Laboratory Scientists’ Association and a member of the union, MLS Isaac Nyinanse disclosed that the merging of the Laboratory services account with other services accounts at health facilities in the Country is negatively affecting the service delivery in their Laboratories. There is therefore the need to create a separate account for the Laboratory.
He cried that though clients pay for their services either through NHIS or cash and carried but anytime they put in request for funds to purchase Laboratory equipment, reagents and other logistics, the only music they hear is ‘there is no money’, and this is affecting the quality of care in providing Laboratory services and we are also losing clients to private facilities which charge exorbitant amount to client at this hardship era. He is therefore pleading with the government to disband the Laboratory services account from other services accounts just like the drug account.
He believes that by doing these they can have direct access to the funds which can be use purposely for retooling of Laboratory services, which will go a long way to help give quality diagnostic service to clients and will also prevent the client going out to seek expensive services from private facilities.
He further added that, the government should pay proper attention to the needs of Laboratory Professionals as essential service providers and give them proper condition of Service.
Story by Darius Ahetto
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