The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has threatened strike action, giving hospital management a seven-day ultimatum to address what it calls persistent neglect of critical leadership and operational issues in medical laboratory services.
In a statement to the hospital’s CEO signed by local union chairman John Kofi Nakoja, MELPWU condemned management’s continued failure to appoint a Head of Laboratory Services and a Laboratory Manager for the Central Laboratory despite completed interviews. The union expressed alarm over the removal of acting officers without replacement, warning this has severely disrupted essential laboratory operations.
MELPWU further accused management of deliberately withholding vital laboratory logistics, creating serious operational challenges that threaten patient safety and healthcare quality. The union strongly criticized moves toward privatization or outsourcing of the Central Laboratory, noting that union representatives, as major stakeholders, have been excluded from consultations.
“These acts constitute administrative neglect and a breach of management’s duty to provide effective leadership, adequate resourcing, and continuity of essential health services,” the statement declared.
The union is demanding the appointment of a qualified Head of Laboratory Services, a substantive Laboratory Manager, and a Director of Allied Health Services within seven days of receiving the statement.
MELPWU has also demanded the immediate suspension of all privatization or outsourcing plans for the Central Laboratory until proper engagement with staff representatives takes place.
The union delivered a stern warning that failure to resolve these issues by February 4, 2026, will force MELPWU to take appropriate action. The statement stressed the union’s unwavering commitment to protecting both patient safety and staff welfare at Ghana’s premier teaching hospital.
