Society of Medical Laboratory Managers chair calls for inclusion in core health management

The Board Chairman of the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers – Ghana (SMLM-G), Dr David Sackey, has called for the full integration of medical laboratory managers into the core management structures of health facilities across the country.

Delivering his welcome address at the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society in Ho, Dr Sackey underscored the urgent need for healthcare reform that acknowledges and empowers medical laboratory professionals at all levels of decision-making.

Welcoming participants to the fourth AGM of the Society, Dr Sackey emphasised that the advancement of medical laboratory science in Ghana and beyond hinges on the recognition of laboratory managers as key stakeholders in healthcare leadership and policy implementation.

“The involvement of the medical laboratory manager in core management is not optional; it is a necessity in risk factoring and strengthening our healthcare delivery system,” he stated.

“In fact, if I had my way, I would push for structural reforms to firmly place the laboratory profession at the heart of hospital management conversations.”

He noted that while the clinical teams in public hospitals often include nurses, midwives, pharmacists, medical doctors, and other professionals, laboratory scientists remain largely absent from executive decision-making roles within these institutions.

This exclusion, he warned, has led to critical delays in the procurement of consumables, irregular servicing of laboratory equipment, and a stagnation in the professional growth of medical laboratory scientists.

“After over five decades of dedicated service to this nation, it is time the laboratory profession is represented at the top, where key healthcare decisions are made,” Dr. Sackey emphasized.

He announced the transformation of the profession over the years, noting that the days when technicians were only trained on the bench are long gone.

“Today, we are producing doctors of medical laboratory science, specialists, consultants, and highly trained professionals with the requisite leadership skills to manage healthcare institutions,” he declared.

“More importantly, we currently have over 100 medical laboratory consultants managing laboratories across Ghana, a clear signal that the profession is not only growing but is more than ready to lead.”

Dr Sackey, however, lamented a number of enduring challenges that continue to plague the sector, including the absence of a dedicated Medical Laboratory Council; poor coordination with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); unemployment of fresh graduates from accredited universities; delays in appointing directors for allied health professions, and a lack of structured training opportunities in key institutions, particularly the teaching hospitals.

“These are not new problems, but their persistence continues to hinder progress,” he said.
“We must begin to address them with boldness and urgency.”

He concluded his address by reiterating the importance of the AGM theme and expressing optimism that the keynote speaker and other guest speakers would “do justice to the theme” and provide insights that will help shape policy direction.

“I may not have all the answers,” he humbly noted, “but I trust that our collective wisdom and shared commitment will lead to outcomes that position laboratory managers where they truly belong, at the core of healthcare governance.”

The AGM brought together laboratory professionals, policy advocates, and healthcare stakeholders from across the country to reflect, share experiences, and strategise on how to enhance the role of laboratory managers within Ghana’s health system.

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