LEDing (GH) Limited, operators of LEDing Medical Laboratory, has refuted claims that it issued false-negative Covid-19 test results to a traveller.
Media reports earlier yesterday suggested that a traveller by name Portia Kissi Adu was issued fake negative Covid-19 test results on her recent trip to Nigeria from the Kotoka International Airport (K.I.A.) by LEDing Medical Laboratory, without any sample having been previously taken from her for the test.
According to the reports, Ms. Kissi Adu was handed the fake Covid-19 laboratory test certificate by a staff of the airline she patronized and that she was asked to pay an amount of GH₵ 700 in exchange for the fake test certificate by the airline staff that attended to her and permitted her to board the aircraft without a valid negative Covid-19 status certificate.
But, responding to the allegation, LEDing Medical Laboratory described the story as false and urged the public to disregard the information.
“It was indeed never issued by LEDing Medical Laboratory, which is demonstrated by the presence of a serial number on the fake test report that does not correspond with the authentic automated serial numbers (both in sequence and numbers) generated and used by LEDing Medical Laboratory in serving the general public,” a statement signed by Dr Maame Fuwaa Antwi-Gyamfi Director, LEDing Medical Laboratory, said.
She indicated that Covid-19 test certificates from her outfit have a unique bar code which can be used to verify its authenticity.
“A mandatory check by the airline staff, in line with agreed protocols and directives issued by the Ghana Airports Company Limited and other industry stakeholders, would have revealed that the test certificate furnished to Ms. Kissi Adu was not authentic and did not originate from LEDing Medical Laboratory,” she explained.
She further noted that the fake test certificate was not delivered by a staff of the organization but rather a staff of the airline involved, ASKY AIRLINE.
“LEDing Medical Laboratory wishes to assure the general public that its medical test reports are protected with unique security identifiers or markers which are incapable of duplication and forgery without detection.
These security features are constantly being upgraded to meet the ever-dynamic security requirements associated with offering such a critical service to the public. It is on account of the existence of these security features that our team, upon launching an investigation into the report was readily and speedily able to determine the phoney character of the test certificate handed by the airline staff to Ms. Kissi Adu,” she added.
Dr Antwi-Gyamfi further noted that since their investigations prove that the published test certificate is indeed fake, the company is taking immediate steps to lodge a complaint at the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to investigate and bring to book the perpetrators of the activities alleged by Ms. Kissi Adu.
“By this public statement, we wish to draw the attention of the general public to the
nefarious activities of unscrupulous persons who wish to take advantage of the
vulnerabilities of some members of the general public by enticing them to participate in such nefarious conduct, which ultimately jeopardizes public health and safety. We further wish to encourage the general public to be good ambassadors in the fight to end this deadly Covid-19 pandemic by refusing to patronize the activities of these dishonest characters when offered, no matter how convenient or appealing their activities may seem in the moment, and report these persons to the Ghana Police
Service or the Ghana Health Service for the necessary actions to be taken against them,” she stated.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri