Korle Bu Doctors Down Tools Over Lab Impasse, Patients Bear the Brunt

Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have grounded all Out-Patient Department services following a festering professional standoff between Laboratory Physicians and Medical Laboratory Scientists at the hospital’s Central Laboratory and patients are already feeling the heat.

The Korle Bu Doctors Association, known as KODA, announced the withdrawal of OPD services effective Monday, May 4, 2026, warning in the same breath that in-patient services could be next if authorities fail to act swiftly.

“KODA withdraws all Out-Patient Services (OPD) from Monday, May 4, 2026. Escalation towards suspension of in-patient services will be communicated in due course,” the Association said in a statement issued Sunday evening.

At the heart of the dispute is what KODA describes as the unlawful restriction of access to the Central Laboratory by members of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists  a situation the doctors say has effectively allowed one professional body to determine who practises within the facility. For a hospital of Korle Bu’s standing, that, they argue, is simply unacceptable.

KODA is demanding that all specialised laboratory results be reviewed and validated exclusively by qualified Laboratory Physicians before release. The Association is also insisting on unrestricted access to laboratory systems and equipment for both clinical and academic purposes rights its members say are being systematically denied.

Beyond the laboratory dispute, the doctors have called on hospital management to investigate alleged threats made against their members, pressing for disciplinary and protective measures to safeguard staff and preserve operational order at the country’s premier referral hospital.

On a related front, KODA has taken a firm position against the proposed rollout of 24-hour specialist outpatient services, arguing the initiative is unnecessary given that the Korle-Bu Polyclinic already provides round-the-clock outpatient care.

The Association, while acknowledging the hardship its action will cause patients, was unapologetic about the necessity of the move.

“We regret the inevitable inconvenience to our patients; however, this action is necessary to ensure patient safety and the long-term stability and professional standards of the hospital,” the statement read.

As of Monday morning, hundreds of patients who had trooped to Korle Bu for routine outpatient care were left stranded, with no clear timeline given for when normal services would resume. The ball, for now, is firmly in management’s court.