The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLs) have expressed disappointment in President Akufo-Addo’s government in the lack of commitment to heed to professional advice in the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

It wants government to prioritize the healthcare of citizens over profit and politics.

The professional body has persistently urged the authorities to expand testing centres using GeneXpert facilities available across the country, to speed up the testing process to reduce the community spread of the virus.

“The leadership of GAMLS is very much concern about the continuous increase and spread of the SARS COV-2 infection in Ghana as the situation poses a risk to Ghanaians including medical laboratory professionals who provide COVID-19 testing, routine and additional complementary testing to manage COVID-19 patients in our hospitals. They are directly and frequently exposed to the virus in high concentration.

“The leadership of the professional body expresses disappointment in the lack of commitment from the authorities to heed to professional advice in the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana”, it said in a statement signed by Dr Dennis Adu-Gyasi and copied to MyNewsGh.com stated.

The association notes that the avoidable delay in expanding testing to at least every region of Ghana and the provision of consumables to enable the few expanded testing facilities to operate, does not show commitment to win the fight against the pandemic.

It stated that the apparent lack and failure of the Government to strengthen Clinical health and private sector laboratories to provide testing for COVID-19 and other complementary tests, adding, this neglect must be addressed with a matter of urgency.

“What is hindering the government from supporting the use of the GeneXpert equipment which can produce results for COVID-19 testing in 45 minutes in our hospitals for patients’ to ensure prompt care and management?”

“This is the surest way to identify COVID-19 cases and readily isolate them to prevent further transmission of infections to others.” It advised

The neglect it said amounts to total disregard for the directive of President Akufo-Addo as contained in his address to update Ghanaians on COVID-19 on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

“We are calling on the authorities to as a matter of urgency, take steps to get the COVID-19 cartridges and to use the GeneXpert equipment as well as enough reagents for the established COVID-19 testing centers to operate”, it emphasized.