A phased industrial action by medical laboratory professional workers at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has disrupted services and is expected to lead to a complete shutdown of laboratory operations next week, hospital sources said.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, is being led by the Korle Bu chapter of the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU). The first phase, described by the union as a sit-down strike, runs until Sunday, February 8 and has resulted in the suspension of all outpatient department (OPD) laboratory services.
Under the current phase, laboratory staff have been instructed to turn away all OPD cases, with only a limited team available to provide emergency diagnostic services for in-patients. The action is expected to affect thousands of outpatients.
Laboratory services at the Blood Bank and the Cardiothoracic Centre remain operational for now, but are limited to patients receiving intensive care. The union said this exemption will end in the next phase of the strike.
From Monday, February 9, 2026, MELPWU has announced a total withdrawal of laboratory services across the hospital, including the Blood Bank and Cardiothoracic Centre, effectively halting all diagnostic testing at the facility.
In a notice to members, the union warned that the action could be extended nationwide if the issues remain unresolved.
The strike follows a statutory notice served on January 27, 2026, to the Minister of Health, hospital management and the National Labour Commission. The union has not publicly detailed its grievances, though such actions are typically linked to disputes over working conditions, allowances and conditions of service.
Hospital officials warn that a full shutdown of laboratory services would severely disrupt operations, delaying diagnoses, treatment and scheduled surgeries, and could bring non-emergency services at Ghana’s largest referral hospital to a halt.