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THE GHANA Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) has served notice to hit hard at the government over the delayed implementation of the National Health Laboratory Policy.

According to the Association, its members were running out of patience and would no more treat the government with kid gloves, given the fact that the government had failed to implement the policy, which is affecting laboratory practices and quality healthcare delivery in the country.

The National Health Laboratory Policy was developed by a Laboratory Technical Committee set up by the Ghana Health Service with support from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Atlanta, United States, at a cost of $1.5 million.

The document was approved and endorsed by the Ministry of Health in 2013 but, accoding to the association, the policy document is gathering dust at the Health Ministry without implementation.

In an interview in Koforidua during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Annual National Congress and First National Health Summit organised by GAMLS, the National President of GAMLS, Dr Ignatius A. N. Awinibuno, said it had given enough time for the government to act, hence it was time to take tough decisions.

The National President stated that the policy, if implemented, will address issues of human resource, logistical infrastructure, financing of laboratory challenges, ensure quality control and accreditation of laboratories and bio-security matters.

He said currently 50 to 60% of laboratories being operated in the country were operating without licence due to absence of the policy.

The Health Minister, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a speech delivered on his behalf by his deputy, Mr Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, directed the Chief Director at the Ministry to work towards the speedy resolution of the impasse surrounding the policy to pave the way for its launch and implementation by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

The Minister gave the assurance that the government was stepping up efforts to address the acute shortage of trained medical laboratory science professionals in most public health facilities across the country and also replace obsolete laboratory equipment that have flooded public health facilities.