HeFRA gives directive on who heads public laboratories

Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, HeFRA, has given a directive on who qualifies to head medical laboratories in public health facilities across the country

In a letter to the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), regarding the regulation of laboratory workplace in health facilities, HeFRA, said by Act 829, it was the appropriate Agency to determine healthcare institutions’ Human Resource requirements and leadership including laboratories.

This comes amid an impasse between the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAML) over the appointment of two medical doctors, who are Hematologist, to work at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Laboratory Unit.

The Agency directed that basic laboratories be headed by a licensed medical laboratory technician in good standing with the Allied Health Professional Council.

Similarly, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Laboratories be headed by either a laboratory medicine specialist or a licensed biomedical scientist.

HeFRA said it was the leadership of the healthcare facility’s duty to appoint who should be the supervisor of the laboratory or any other unit.