Medical laboratory business booms in Kumasi

There is an upsurge in the number of private medical laboratories in the Kumasi metropolis.

Medical laboratory services is said to be the science behind the cure of ailments as proper treatment of diseases requires proper diagnosis and management.

It is perhaps for this reason that medical entrepreneurs are venturing the business of laboratory services, creating employment for professional technicians and contributing to good quality health delivery.

The labs are doted in suburbs of the Kumasi metropolis, but majority are located in Bantama - apparently due to the proximity of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Inadequate regulation of laboratory practices however opens the sector to quack technicians. The Biomedical Association of Ghana is pushing for legislation to instill standards in the sector.

Prince Sodoke Amuzu is the Corporate Affairs Director of MDS-Lancet Laboratories Ghana Limited, which operates in five regions of the country.

He tells Luv Fm the increase in the number of outlets for laboratory services offers the public options for high-standard equipment and professional hands.

Prince says it is imperative for patients to be circumspect in patronizing laboratories, especially preventive medicine.

“What MDS has done differently is to recruit highly competent and skillful medical laboratory scientists and also pursue the ISO – International Standards Organization 17025 – that is why our systems are that quality”, he stated.

He says a good lab test should pass the review of a certified pathologist for accuracy, reliability and use.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh