As part of its July 2025 stakeholder engagement activities, the Centre for Health System Strengthening (CfHSS) paid a working visit to the Clinical Engineering Department (CED) of the Ghana Health Service. The CfHSS team, led by Executive Director Dr. Michael Owusu and accompanied by CDC Laboratory Advisor Dr. Bernard Nkrumah, held strategic discussions with Dr. Nichodemus Gebe, Head of the Department.

The meeting centered on advancing Phase II of the Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) Certification Program, which builds on Phase I training previously completed by two biomedical engineers. CfHSS and CDC are supporting further specialized training abroad, with India, South Korea, or the USA being considered based on cost, proximity, and logistical feasibility.

Key Areas of Discussion and Future Directions:

• Plans to procure a backup set of BSC certification tools to ensure uninterrupted service during equipment calibration or repair cycles.
• Exploring the inclusion of other critical laboratory equipment in future certification and maintenance training.
• Strategy to create a pool of trained biomedical engineers to offer decentralized BSC certification and maintenance services across Ghana.
• Proposal to document the program’s process, outcomes, and lessons learned in a scientific publication to guide similar national-scale programs.
• Emphasis on bonding trained personnel and generating departmental revenue through services offered to private and research laboratories.

Dr. Gebe expressed strong appreciation for CfHSS and CDC’s continued technical and financial support. He acknowledged the national significance of the initiative and reported that step-down trainings for other engineers within the department had already commenced. He also recommended initiating engagement with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) to explore formal regulatory recognition for biomedical engineers performing certification services.

This engagement reaffirmed CfHSS’ commitment to supporting biomedical engineering as a foundational component of biosafety and laboratory systems strengthening in Ghana.

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