Blood Banks across the country will be closed down by June 4, 2018, should government fall to address the demands of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists.
The closure will be part of a road map by the Association that will lead to the total withdrawal of medical laboratory services in the public hospitals across the country.
Currently, the Association has activated the “work to rule†action on their road map, where laboratory services will end at 5:00pm each day till May 29. After May 29, there will be a total withdrawal of emergency services.
The Association said the decision to withdraw their services is in compliance with a directive issued during the 2017 Annual National Congress held in Koforidua in the Eastern Region on November 4, 2017.
In a letter dated May 4, 2018, from the Association which was addressed to the Minister of Health, the Association said, their National Executive Council (NEC) has been compelled to heed to the most important clarion call from members for the adoption of a more radical approach to bring finality to all protracted issues.
The Association for the past 4-years has been demanding for a directorate to steer their technical and financial issues, a laboratory account to enable them have a reliable funds to support their activities and salary disparities among junior workers.
The Western Region Chairman of the Association, Samuel Dankwah, in an interview with the Prime News Ghana explained that, the services at both the Christian Assisted and Mission Hospitals will also be withdrawn.
When questioned how effective the withdrawal of their services will be when there are several private laboratories in operation, Mr. Dankwah said, there are many specialized services that the private laboratories cannot offer.
According to him, just as they did two years ago, blood banks will be shut down on June 4, if nothing is done about their situation.
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