NHIA Calls for Stronger Laboratory Services to Support Free Primary Health Care
Medical laboratory Scientists have been urged to strengthen diagnostic services at the primary health care level to support the successful implementation of the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) programme.
The Deputy Chief Executive for Operations of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, said accurate, reliable laboratory testing is essential for early detection and effective management of hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases.
“A screening that is not followed up by a reliable confirmation, actually, helps no one,” he said, stressing the need for medical laboratory scientists to make diagnostic quality a priority in primary health care delivery.
Dr Djokoto made the call when he delivered the keynote address at the 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ghana Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), Wednesday in Accra.
He urged the College to establish and enforce professional standards that would ensure laboratories in facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) produce accurate and clinically useful results.
Speaking on the theme, “Advancing Primary Health Care through Postgraduate Education, Research, Innovation and Effective Governance,” Djokoto called on the College to develop a research agenda focused on access to diagnostic services, appropriate use of laboratory tests and value for money.
He said such research would help guide health service purchasing decisions and improve the efficiency of the NHIA as a strategic health purchaser.
Dr Djokoto added that the Authority was prepared to fund research capable of improving its operations and supporting more effective health care delivery.
He also urged the College to prioritise the fair distribution and retention of specialist medical laboratory scientists, noting that access to their expertise should not be restricted to major hospitals and urban centres.
According to him, improving access to specialist services did not necessarily require every primary health care facility to be equipped with advanced laboratory technology.
“Primary care does not need specialist or advanced laboratory equipment in every facility. What it means is organised access to specialist expertise, and one well-trained laboratory scientist can lift access across a whole cluster of facilities,” he said.
The Director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases, Dr Joseph Adjetey Oliver-Commey, who represented the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), described the meeting’s theme as timely and relevant to the country’s health care needs.
He said a resilient health system depended on strong primary health care supported by high-quality diagnostic services.
Dr Oliver-Commey noted that medical laboratory science has evolved beyond its traditional supporting role to become a strategic pillar of health care, disease surveillance, health security, precision medicine, and Universal Health Coverage.
He cited the COVID-19 pandemic, recurring outbreaks of cholera, Ebola and Lassa fever, antimicrobial resistance and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases as evidence of the critical role diagnostics played in protecting public health.
“Every unnecessary antibiotic prescribed, every delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis, every missed case of cervical cancer, every undetected diabetic complication carries enormous human and economic cost,” he said.
He stressed that laboratory medicine must be recognised as critical national infrastructure, given its importance to disease prevention, timely diagnosis, effective treatment and the country’s preparedness for public health emergencies.
Grace Acheampong, ISD
