The work of a laboratory professional is clear in the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, ACT 851, 2013.

Ghanaian doctors are causing too many confusions in the health sector. Work at the health sector is teamwork, One man cannot do it all alone.

1. An MO Haematologist is to offer specialist services at the haematology clinic in treating patients with haematological conditions.

2. An MLS Haematologist is to run specialist haematological tests at the Haematology Laboratory.

A Nurse Haematologist is to take care of patients diagnosed of haematological conditions at the haematological clinic/wards.

Now, the big question;

1. If the MO Haematologist runs away to the lab to be doing specialist haematological tests at the lab who then attends to the patient at the Haematology Clinic? Is it the case that we have too many MO Haematologists that the extra hands have to go to the lab to be validating lab results? Won't those MO get training before they know how to validate results? Can't the Laboratory Scientists be allowed to train to improve upon their services? If this is not greed then how can we classify it?

2. Will the MO Haematologist request laboratory tests at the Haematology Clinic and follow the patient to the lab to run the tests himself? Who attends to the rest of the patients at the clinic? What happens to conflict of interest if doctors request tests and run the tests themselves and prescribe drugs at the same time? Can quality services be guaranteed in this case?

It's surprising how some Ghanaian doctors are behaving. What do we want our Medical Laboratory Scientists in Ghana to be doing with their training if doctors have to take over the work of Laboratory Scientists at the lab?

Nobody is a repository for knowledge. Doctors should stop crossing carpets and allow lab Scientists to develop their profession. The suppression and dominance is too much in the health sector.

The Minister of Health must rise to deal with this canker once and for all if not we're only creating monsters for the future. A situation where if you did not see a doctor, you'd be left to die. Everybody cannot train to become a doctor. Even if laboratory personnel are the less privileged in health sector, they should be allowed to do their work.

Enough is enough!

By: David Yeboah