Medical Laboratory Professional Workers at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have begun a phased industrial action, halting outpatient laboratory services and paving the way for a total shutdown of all laboratory services next week.
The Korle Bu chapter of the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU)have begun a sit-down strike on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and it will run until Sunday, February 8. During this period, members have been directed to refuse all outpatient department (OPD) laboratory cases, with only a skeleton staff attending to emergency cases for existing in-patients.
The union has also announced that samples requiring follow-up beyond February 8 will not be accepted. The hospital’s Blood Bank and the Cardiothoracic Centre laboratories are currently operating only for intensive care cases.
From Monday, February 9, 2026, the union will withdraw all medical laboratory services across the entire hospital, including the Blood Bank and the Cardiothoracic Centre. The strike follows a statutory notice served on the Minister of Health, hospital management and the National Labour Commission on January 27, 2026, and is expected to severely disrupt diagnosis, treatment and scheduled surgeries at the hospital.