The first batch of the University for Development Studies (UDS) Doctors of Medical Laboratory Science has been inducted on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at the Accra International Conference Center.
The induction and oath swearing ceremony which was organized by the Allied Health Professions Council had a total of 1,130 Allied Health graduands who have completed various professional programmes.
The programmes include radiographers, sonographers, optometrists, medical laboratory, physiotherapists among other professions.
According to the President of Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Dr Ignatius A. N Awinibunohis, the induction service is the primus occurrence for the 6-year training programme in Medical Laboratory Science, which is equivalent to the Doctor Of Pharmacy (Pharm. D), Doctor of Optometry (O. D) and Doctor Of Medicine and Dentistry in Ghana.
He further said the programme has obtained all legally required accreditations to operate in Ghana.
Dr Ignatius Awinibunohis said, "Ghana is the first country to implement this West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) recommended 6-year training for the award of a Professional Doctorate in Medical Laboratory Science pioneered by the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale under the School of Allied Health Sciences. The training provides graduands the opportunity for enhanced clinical laboratory practice.
It is expected that other sister Allied Health Professions will follow similar recommendations made by the WAHO without further delay to the benefit of our citizens in West Africa and beyond.”
The specific objectives for the introduction of the MLS.D Training are as follows:
1) To stop quasi specialization at the first-degree level as obtains presently in several universities and encourage the training of Medical Laboratory Scientists with broad orientation in all specialities in the field of Medical Laboratory Science.
2) To introduce new areas that are deficient in the current programme e.g. molecular biology, forensic science, counselling skills, procurement and entrepreneurial skills, supply chain management as well as improve upon the basic medical science components so as to produce graduates who can compete favourably with their contemporaries internationally.
3) To provide an in-depth scientific background to enrich the practice of Medical Laboratory Science.
4) To produce Medical Laboratory Scientists with professional and scientific competence and sufficient management capability to:
i) Perform effectively in hospital diagnostic services and public health services, research and academics.
ii) Function independently or in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team.
iii) Be the vanguard for the production of biological and diagnostic reagents and can design and fabricate laboratory equipment.
iv) Train graduates that will meet the peculiar needs of medical laboratories at all tiers of healthcare systems in the sub-region as well as serve another relevant public utility department.
v) Train high calibre professionals who can rise to the highest levels in the public service so as to better contribute to policy formulation and implementation. This is best appreciated with the realization of the fact that in the comity of healthcare professions, medical laboratory science has several major areas of specialization i.e. chemical pathology, histopathology, haematology, parasitology, medical microbiology, virology, immunology, molecular biology, blood transfusion science, forensic science, laboratory reagents and equipment research and development, laboratory management etc. Most of these areas exist as definitive departments in several health institutions globally.
