Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers -The Epicenter, Yet The Most Underrated G.O.A.T

During this Covid19 pandemic, Medical laboratory scientists have played the biggest role from collection of samples, testing and Diagnosis making them the highest risk group in this fight. And that’s just the tip of an iceberg.

If a census is to be conducted today among Kenyans to get wind of their knowledge about Unions and Associations of different medical practioners, 99% won’t be able recognise Union/Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists whilst 99% will recognise Dr. Oluga -Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU), Dr. Jackson Kioko- Pharmacists and Poisons Board (PPB) and Dr. Panyako Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN). These unions have the strongest devil-daring management-leaders, vibrant, speaks to Government regularly in the language they best understand and gives government sleepless nights marinated with wild thoughts and mixed reactions – protecting welfare of their members.

When these very same people in case study get to seek treatment in hospitals, they are only satisfied with treatment when sent to the lab for testing because long gone are the old-era days when clinical officers or MOs could run hospital set up without lab tests and diagnose and treat patients on assumption basis. This new era has made laboratory the epitome of clinical hospital organogram and a vital organ in Diagnostic-treatment of a patient.

In layman’s language, every new patient gets the feeling of satisfaction on physical examination by the Doctor but not until his/her test samples taken and tested – diagnosis made and then given right medication for treatment. This mentality magnifies how vital Lab is in a clinical hospital set up. But with all these glory and respect, medical laboratory scientists have failed to shine in the national outlook, Association of Kenya Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (AKMLSO) which was formed decades ago and 5 years old Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (KNUMLSO)  have lost focus and have become waitress on the dinner table serving KMPDU, PPB and KNUN when they all ought to be dinning together on the dinner table as equal partners.

Medical laboratory scientists lacks proper and vibrant representation to bargain for its rightful share and demand for proper welfare of its members who are suffering in oppression upto the extent that their partners demean their existence out of pride brought to them by their well structured Union leadership.

This sleepy association AKMLSO and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Scientists (KNUMLO) have failed terribly, they’ve decided to be maimed and have cocooned themselves in silent mode as their members are sinking in economic debts due to low wages and salaries as they cant even give the government ultimatums leave alone organizing a strike and laying down tools to gain a bargaining power at the dinner table like other unions do.

Their absence in the scenes and off the screens have belittled the Medical laboratory members and escalated discrimination by  other partner healthcare professionals

AKMLSO and KNUMLSO were formed on the ground of 3 main pillars like other partners unions in the healthcare docket to:

1. To carter and promote medical laboratory professionalism and welfare to its members

2. To foster closer relationship between its members and other health professionals

3. To unite medical laboratory and scientists board in Kenya

Congratulations to leadership of Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya National Union of Clinical Officers (KNUCO) and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We from the lab
We exist
We are the troponin
Behind the heart attack
We are the blood type
Behind a safe transfusion
We are the HCG
Behind a life that it is growing
We are the hope to control the pandemic
Behind the COVID testing
We give hope to patients
We give answers to doctors and nurses
We cheer the good news that are released through our computers
And we feel the sorrow for the bad news that follow
We are humans
Not machines
Some of us have a gift of drawing blood without bruises or pain
But some of us need that blood
Because we can not get a vein
So we bring the blood to the lab
So results can helps the doctors to intervene
Do not worry , none of us drink it
We, Medical Laboratory Professionals chose to be who we are
We save lives everyday even if a patient will never know what we look like
But all we care is that we helped the healing
We gave hope or closure
We helped diagnose the pain
The earache , the sore throat
We deserve respect
We are part of the clinical team
We give to the clinicians the pieces that they need to finish the diagnosis puzzle
We are not fake
We are real
We studied
We trained
We gave our commitment
To help find the cure
To defeat the disease
But most important
We care about the person behind every single vial or tube that we touch
We care for the person behind every single result we typed
So think about us when you had you check up or you were not feeling well
So think about us when the doctor tells you that your glucose was normal or your potassium is low
Think about us when your dream to be a parent was confirmed
Think about us when the blood you received during surgery saved your life
Think about us when you recovered
Because if you need us again
We will be here.”

MLOs, WE should stay woke, better die on our feet than live on our knees begging every time. Also remember Not everyone who chased the zebra caught it, but he who caught it, chased it.