We are not Mortuary men - KATH Pathologist

An Anatomy Pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Dr. Ernest Adjei has disclosed that the work of pathologists in the country is not limited to only the examination of dead bodies in mortuaries.

He indicates that pathologists are critical in the diagnosis of various ailments but because that has not been much publicized, the public has over the years held the erroneous impression they are only resigned to the mortuaries where they conduct autopsies which he observed is untrue.

Speaking to the host of the Ultimate Breakfast Show Lantam Papanko, Dr. Adjei disclosed that the work of pathologists is more critical in other areas in the diagnosis and treatment of ailments than mortuaries many have sort to restrict them to.

“We are less than 15 in the whole country and we work in outpatient and freestanding laboratories to diagnose ailments for Doctors in the consulting rooms to prescribe appropriate medication”, he revealed.
According to him, the fact that they were working behind the scenes did not indicate they are irrelevant in healthcare delivery in the country stating that but for them, doctors will not be able to provide an adequate prescription to various ailments.

The performance of autopsies, which not only determine the person’s cause of death but may also discover more information about the genetic progression of a disease as well as help family members take preventive action is the least of job specifications of pathologists.

To this end, he called on the public to stop denigrating the reputation of Pathologists making the profession look like anyone from the streets can be engaged in such a profession.

“We are limited in number in this country. I will, therefore, encourage the young doctors who are coming up to specialize in pathology because that is what is helping the developed countries to hastily discover and treat various ailments and we think they are better than us”, he concluded