Brief History

Brief History

The Medical Laboratory Technology programme was established at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 1998 under the School of Medical Sciences. The programme was conceived by Professor Ohene Adjei of the Department of Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, with the support of the then Dean of the Medical School, Professor Dr. Dr. Wireko-Brobbey. The inaugural cohort comprised 17 students in the 1998/1999 academic year.

Initially coordinated within the Department of Microbiology, the programme drew academic support from faculty across the Medical School and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), where early integration of clinical laboratory rotations ensured strong practical training. In 2000, Professor Clement Opoku-Okrah (late) assumed coordination of the programme, contributing significantly to its academic consolidation.

As student enrolment increased, the programme evolved into a full Department of Medical Laboratory Technology and became a founding unit of the newly established Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. Over time, the Department expanded its academic staff and strengthened its teaching and research capacity.

In September 2018, the Department was restructured and renamed the Department of Medical Diagnostics, reflecting an expanded mandate in laboratory-based diagnostic science. Today, the Department offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma programmes in medical laboratory science, operates on both the Kumasi Main Campus and the Obuasi Satellite Campus, and has trained over 1,500 graduates serving in healthcare, research, and academia globally.