Ghana’s Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) has restated its demand for urgent changes to the leadership and management structure of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) Central Medical Laboratory, as stakeholders prepare for a rescheduled meeting on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
In a press statement issued on Friday, 15 May, the Union said it had received communication from the Ministry of Health postponing the earlier review meeting to allow the Technical Review Committee to complete its work. The Committee is expected to submit its final report on 18 May 2026, after which stakeholders will reconvene.
MELPWU said it remained deeply concerned about the prolonged uncertainty over leadership and administrative arrangements at the Central Medical Laboratory. The Union warned that the situation has broader implications for patient care, professional governance, staff morale, and the quality of laboratory services at Ghana’s premier referral facility.
The Union listed four demands it described as “unequivocal and non-negotiable.”
First, it called for the immediate reinstatement of Dr. Michael Amo Omari, a duly appointed Medical Laboratory Scientist whose appointment as Head of Laboratory Services, Sub-BMC at KBTH was revoked. MELPWU described the revocation as unjustifiable and improper.
Second, the Union demanded disciplinary action against Dr. Asare Offei over public comments it said undermined the credibility of laboratory results from the Central Laboratory. According to MELPWU, the remarks have eroded public confidence and professional integrity, particularly in the absence of a retraction or apology.
Third, it requested the immediate reversal of all unapproved changes to the leadership structure, organogram, administrative hierarchy, and reporting lines governing the Medical Laboratory Service at KBTH.
Fourth, the Union asked for the immediate termination of the interim administrative arrangement, noting that its mandate expired on 12 May 2026. MELPWU argued that continuing the arrangement beyond its mandate threatens accreditation standards, professional governance, technical supervision, quality management systems, and institutional stability.
The Union stressed that the issues under discussion are professional and administrative, not personal or political. It said its concerns center on due process, institutional fairness, protection of professional integrity, transparency in decision-making, recognition of medical laboratory professionals in healthcare leadership, and preservation of industrial harmony.
MELPWU also responded to public commentary surrounding the dispute. It stated that medical laboratory scientists at KBTH have not denied physicians access to the laboratory, nor have they engaged in threats or physical obstruction. The Union said collaboration with physicians in patient care, research, and training continues.
It further emphasized that Medical Laboratory Science is a regulated profession under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), with defined scope, licensing requirements, and accountability systems.
While acknowledging the interventions of the Ministry of Health and the National Labour Commission, MELPWU expressed concern over the continued operation of the interim leadership arrangement beyond its stated period.
The Union urged all parties to exercise restraint and allow institutional mechanisms to work without distortion of facts. It assured members and the public that it would continue to pursue the matter responsibly while safeguarding the dignity and autonomy of the profession.
“The man who knows his right does not bow to intimidation,” the statement said, adding, “What belongs to the leopard cannot be taken by noise from monkeys.”
The statement was signed by General Secretary Dr. Cephas Kofi Akortor on behalf of MELPWU.
