The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABMLS) has, as a matter of urgency, called on government to grant clearance for the recruitment of licenced medical laboratory science graduates before the year elapses.

In a statement signed by its president, Ignatius N.A. Awinibuno, and General Secretary, Michael Amo Omari, the GABMLS also called on Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Fair Wages & Salaries Commission “to immediately ensure that these outstanding issues on the Single Spine Salary Structure(SSSS) are ratified.”

“The association is very much concerned about the unfair placement of the Medical Laboratory Assistant Cadre, Medical Laboratory Technicians Cadre and the Chief Biomedical Scientist Grades of our members on the SSSS by Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) as compared to their analogous grades nursing groups,” it added.

The statement said the amendment of the salary placement had taken the FWSC far too long and the excuses given were intolerable.

The statement mentioned that the GABMLS had followed keenly recent development concerning selective implementation of condition of services in the health sector and, therefore, called on government to pay all allowances agreed to by the collective agreement in same manner that other health professionals were being paid.

It said these would ensure fairness and industrial disharmony.

The statement also asked the MoH, the GHS, teaching hospitals, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Health Service Directorate of the various universities and security services, including the private health facilities, to safeguard only licenced medical practitioners were employed.

The association expressed delight about the heightened level of interest shown by graduates towards the practice of medical laboratory science.

GNA