Medical Laboratory practitioners in the country have been awarded for their support to the medical profession, especially in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
About 21 laboratories were awarded at the maiden edition of the Ghana Medical Laboratory Awards over the weekend.
The Korlu-bu Teaching Hospital won the Best Public Health Medical Laboratory Centre, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) won the Best Public Health Laboratory Centre with MDS Lancet winning the Laboratory Center of the Decade.
The Chief Executive Officer of FDA, Mimi Delese Darko was adjudged the Chief Executive Officer of the Year.
The awards was under the auspices of Afrimeia Galaxy in collaboration with the Health Faculties Regulatory Agency (HEFRA).
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Bernard Okoe Boye commended the medical laboratory practitioners for the role they played in the fight against Covid-19.
“Without medical laboratory practitioners, we will be in hot waters, especially in the fight against Covid-19” he stressed.
The NHIS boss also charged them to uphold integrity in the discharge of their duties and also upgrade themselves to meet international standards.
Dr Okoe Boye also commended Afrimedia Galaxy, organisers of the awards for recognizing the hard work of medical laboratory practitioners in the country.
Acting Director of the Institutional Care Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Lawrence Ofori-Boadu said they acknowledge medical laboratory practitioners in the country contrary to claims that, they have been relegated to the background.
This, he said is because medical laboratory practitioners are very important players in the health sector.
Dr Ofori-Boadu thanked them for “standing tall” in Ghana’s fight against the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.
For his part, Executive Director of Afrimedia Galaxy, Joseph Egyir Sarfo said they were motivated by the pivotal role played by medical laboratory practitioners in the health sector
“Without the diagnosis of medical laboratory practitioners, doctors cannot do anything hence the need to appreciate and recognize their good works”.
Mr Egyir Sarfo said they awarded only 21 people due to resource constraints but is hoping to get more sponsorship to expand it in subsequence years.
