How Politics affects Medical Laboratories

Michael Manley, former prime minister of Jamaica, wrote an excellent book called The Politics of Change which was written with two not unrelated objectives in mind. Michael Manley had a desire to transform a post colonial society into a more egalitarian system where there is opportunity for all. Missing from the book is an analysis of imperialism, capitalism, socialism and tribalism and how it has affected the healthcare system. Medical Laboratories which is a crucial department of healthcare have been left on the back burner for decades. This unseen but vital aspect of patient diagnosis and treatment continues to cry out for change from a system of imperialism to one of egalitarianism. This "change" can only be achieved if everyone has access to information about how the healthcare system works. This calls for re-engineering of the healthcare system into a system where the patient is the most important person in healthcare.

Politics has oppressed many industries, such as Laboratory Medicine, and unless Medical Technologists unite and advocate for change it will be just business as usual. Even though Michael Manley's book speaks specifically about the politics of equality and social justice, it is self-evident that the Medical Laboratory has been affected by same. Lack of information especially about the Medical Laboratory has left many patients in the dark for years. The aim of Gav-Med is for all patients to have access to healthcare information about Laboratory Medicine via the internet, social media or any other distribution channel.