Laboratory professionals reject government’s plan to outsource hospital equipment

The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU) has strongly rejected a plan announced by the Minister of Health, suggesting that government is considering the option of outsourcing hospital equipment, particularly in laboratories, due to frequent equipment breakdowns and alleged deliberate damages caused by some hospital staff for personal gain.

In an interview on Asempa FM, the health minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, had said the proposal was being considered to address the maintenance cost and frequent breakdown of hospital equipment, some of which he claimed were, in some instances deliberately damaged by hospital staff, who operate private health facilities, for personal gain.

However, in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Dr Cephas Kofi Akortor, the Union described the Minister’s comments as unfair and damaging to the reputation of laboratory professionals across the country.

“The Union finds these comments unfair to the thousands of hardworking and dedicated medical laboratory professionals who continue to provide essential diagnostic services under difficult and resource-constrained conditions,” the statement read.

MELPWU rejected what it described as a “sweeping generalization” that some laboratory staff deliberately damage equipment for their “parochial interests,” describing the claim as an “unwarranted slur on the integrity and professionalism” of practitioners.

According to the Union, there are already well-established investigative and disciplinary procedures within the public service and health sector to address misconduct, and therefore isolated incidents, if any, should not be used as justification for a “wholesale policy shift” with potentially far-reaching implications for the health system.

The Union further described the outsourcing proposal as a repackaged plan to privatize laboratory services, an idea they have consistently opposed.

MELPWU warned that such arrangements could open the door to corruption, increase the cost of healthcare for patients, and undermine accountability within the public health system.

“The minister’s proposal, if implemented, risks creating a dangerous precedent where essential health services and equipment management are ceded to private interests at the expense of public accountability and affordability.

“This will ultimately burden patients through higher service charges and undermine the principles of equity and accessibility that underpin the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” the statement stated.

The Union urged government to reconsider the proposal, calling instead for efforts to strengthen existing biomedical engineering units, train technical staff, ensure timely procurement of spare parts, and enforce proper accountability mechanisms to extend the lifespan of medical equipment.

MELPWU reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue on sustainable ways to improve laboratory services but vowed to “resist any attempt to commercialize or privatize critical aspects of healthcare delivery to the detriment of patients and professionals alike.”

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