Korle Bu crisis deepens as lab professionals reject doctors’ claims

The Medical Laboratory Workers Union has called on the Korle Bu Doctors Association to withdraw and apologise for comments it describes as misleading about laboratory professionals amid ongoing tensions at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The Union accused some doctors of questioning the reliability of results from the hospital’s Central Laboratory, claims it says have led to referrals of patients to private facilities and demands for broader access to laboratory systems.

However, the Union insists such assertions are false and risk eroding public trust in laboratory services, while downplaying the essential role of medical laboratory scientists in patient care.

Speaking on Citi Prime News, the Union’s General Secretary, Dr. Cephas Akortor, maintained that laboratory results at Korle Bu remain accurate and are critical to clinical decision-making.

He argued that the dispute is not about access to data, as doctors already have full access through the hospital’s electronic systems, but rather an attempt to take control of laboratory operations—an idea the Union strongly opposes.

Dr. Akortor described the doctors’ remarks as “misleading and reckless” and formally demanded an immediate retraction and apology to the public.

The disagreement has already escalated into industrial action, with doctors under KODA withdrawing Out-Patient Department (OPD) services from Monday, May 4, 2026.

KODA, on the other hand, maintains that the action stems from unresolved issues affecting clinical work and patient safety. The Association has warned it could extend the action to in-patient services if concerns are not addressed and is pushing for unrestricted access to laboratory systems, as well as mandatory validation of specialised test results by laboratory physicians before release.

Despite the disruption, the doctors insist their actions are aimed at safeguarding patient care and ensuring safety standards at the facility.