Doctors at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital say their decision to suspend Outpatient Department (OPD) services is necessary to protect patient safety, citing concerns over how specialised laboratory results are handled.
According to the doctors’ association at the facility, “the decision comes after prolonged tensions that are compromising patient safety and clinical decision-making.”
The industrial action has led to the complete withdrawal of OPD services at Ghana’s premier referral hospital, disrupting routine consultations and leaving several patients stranded.
Hundreds of patients who rely on the facility for specialist care were turned away on arrival, with notices indicating the suspension of outpatient services. Only emergency and critical cases are currently being attended to.
The situation has placed additional pressure on the hospital’s emergency unit, where long queues have been reported as cases that would ordinarily be handled at OPD are redirected.
The striking doctors are demanding that all specialised laboratory results be reviewed and validated by qualified Laboratory Physicians before they are released. They also want unrestricted access to laboratory systems and equipment for both clinical and academic work.
Hospital sources say the standoff follows weeks of unresolved disagreements between medical doctors and laboratory service providers over roles and access within the system.
The development raises fresh concerns about healthcare delivery in Ghana, particularly at Korle Bu, which serves as a major referral centre for complicated cases from across the country.
There has been no immediate response from hospital management or the Ministry of Health, but patients and their families are already feeling the impact as uncertainty grows over how long the disruption will last.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com