COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS OF NIGERIA (AMLSN) AT THE END OF HER 51st ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP HELD BETWEEN 12th AND 17th OCTOBER, 2015 AT THE ATRIUM EVENTS CENTRE, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE-NIGERIA

 

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) held her 51 Annual Scientific Conference/Workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from 12-17, October 2015. The theme of the Conference/workshop was Combating Acute and Chronic Health Challenges: The Medical Laboratory, Acritical Tool.

 

The Conference/workshop was declared opened by the former deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Austin Opara, ably represented by Dr Henry Ejo-Orusa on Tuesday, October 13, 2015. The Keynote address was delivered by Prof. Oluwafemi Oguntibeju of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa. 

The then Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute (mni) who was represented by the Director, Legal department-Barr. Grace Ekanem gave a special address at the opening ceremony. 

 

OBJECTIVES OFTHE CONFERENCE

1. To promote professional fraternity and cohesion amongst Medical Laboratory Scientists and other scientists in Nigeria.

2. To update Medical Laboratory Scientists with the latest and necessary information on diagnosis of acute and chronic health challenges.

3. To share knowledge among medical laboratory scientists and other scientists on cost-effective, all-encompassing scientific ways of combating acute and chronic health challenges in Nigeria.

4. To assess economic, environmental and socio-political factors that can negatively affect the combating of acute and chronic health challenges in Nigeria and Africa and proffer appropriate solutions.

 

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The conference deliberated on the theme, sub-themes and other contemporary issues affecting the quality of health care delivery in general and the medical laboratory in particular and thereafter made the following observations and recommendations:

 

1. Conference reiterated the pivotal role of the Medical Laboratory in the Healthcare delivery especially in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow ups of acute and chronic diseases.

 

2. Conference observed that the 21st century is witnessing a monumental increase in scientific knowledge and technological innovations and advances. Hence, Medical Laboratory Scientists who daily utilize both Scientific and Technological knowledge have the tasks of keeping abreast with ever changing knowledge and scientific advances to ensure timely, accurate and reliable diagnosis of health challenges.

 

3. Conference observed increasing non-sponsorship of our members for Continuous Professional Development programmes and particularly annual Conferences and workshops by the Management of health institutions in spite of the provision of budget for manpower training and developments in the annual budget of government institutions and MDAs.

4. Participants affirmed their supports for governments at all levels in the pursuit of laudable programs and policies in the health sector in particular and other sectors of the economy in general.

5. Participants fully supported the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) as well as his determined efforts to bring to an end the menace of insurgents by the end of December, 2015. Also, conference sympathized with the victims and families of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the insurgency and urged Governments at all levels to alleviate the pains and challenges of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their

communities.

6. Conference noted the laudable implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the Federal Government and observed that TSA will block the unnecessary leakages and massive misappropriation of government's revenue. This will also aid ease of estimating the total consolidated revenue of FGN with a view of making 1% of the funds available for basic healthcare trust fund as provided for in the National Health Act 2014.

7. Conference congratulated the President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for forwarding names of ministerial nominees to the Senate and urged Mr President to keep an eye on whoever becomes the Minister of Health and Minister of State for health to prevent impunity and disobedience to the rule of law which Mr President and the governing party cherish so dearly. This will no doubt, promote effective, efficient and quality health care delivery in Nigeria.

8. Conference frowned at the protracted inter and intra professional rivalry that has continually laid prostrate the health sector and called on health professionals to put the patients' first in their scale of priorities. We also call on government to ensure that no section of the health team is marginalised or oppressed through skewed policies and programs as this has been the oven where industrial disharmony is baked.

9. Participants observed with dismay the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria, especially the roads plied by participants en route Port Harcourt and urged government at all levels to pay attention to quality road network as there is a relationship between good road network and health care delivery especially in cases where patients have to be refereed to other cities for emergency services.

10. Conference appreciated the Federal Ministry of Health for commending the patriotic and selfsacrificing attitude of Medical Laboratory Scientists who kept on working at great personal risk during the Ebola crisis. Also worthy of note, was the assurance by the FMoH that even in the face of dwindling resources the Government will continue to prioritize personnel training and retraining in order to ensure highly trained and motivated human resources for health in the battle against acute and chronic diseases.

11. Conference decried the rising dearth of Medical Laboratory Scientists in most health institutions due to 'artificial embargo' on employment of Medical Laboratory Scientists by CEOs of most health institutions in Nigeria. The conference therefore urged governments at all levels to employ more medical laboratory scientists so as to meet the expectation in the National Medical Laboratory Strategic Plan (2015-2019).

12. Conference noted that the WHO Regional Committee for Africa Resolution AFR/RC/R7 of 1993 which urged member states to “develop well-staffed and properly equipped laboratory services” for preventing and combating epidemics of communicable diseases through improved surveillance at the district level is still pending for implementation in Nigeria. This will prevent Nigeria's attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals which emphasizes inclusiveness for all tiers of the community. More so, Universal Health Coverage which is a necessity can only be achieved when there is a vibrant and responsive medical laboratory system.

13. Participants decried the moribund nature of human vaccine production laboratories in Nigeria amidst a disturbing rise in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and hereby called upon the Nigerian government to quickly look into resuscitating these laboratories since Medical Laboratory Scientists are well trained in vaccine production technology as seen by their productive inputs in the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom. This will go a long way in combating vaccine preventable health challenges in Nigeria.

14. Conference affirmed that diseases may not always show overt signs; therefore, the conference advocated for routine health and laboratory checks covered by health Insurance to promote Universal Health Coverage and reduce the menace of acute and chronic killer diseases. Conference noted that out –of- pocket payments is often the reason for the low patronage of routine health and laboratory checks by majority of Nigerians.

15. Participants observed with disgust, the constant violation of our professional sanctity by some employers of labour who are promoting quackery in medical laboratory services by employing quacks to impersonate as Medical Laboratory Scientists thereby allowing such quacks to perform

the professional duties of Medical Laboratory professionals in both private and public health institutions. Conference reminded such employers that they are personally and vicariously liable.

16. Conference appreciate the approach of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration on adherence to the rule of law. Since judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and the oppressed, conference received with satisfaction, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN)'s court judgment of October 6, 2015 which granted all the reliefs sought by our Association and made it applicable to all our members nation-wide. This further affirmed that Medical Laboratory Science is a distinct and separate profession and their department must be created and headed by Medical Laboratory Scientists and no longer by persons belonging to another professional group. Conference therefore called for the immediate implementation of the judgement in all health facilities in Nigeria.

17. Conference observed as worrisome the manner and scope of introducing Public-Private Partnership Policy (PPP) in health institutions in Nigeria, its introduction is vendetta-driven. Despite the fact that the World Health Organization emphasizes Universal Health Coverage which must be accessible, available and affordable, the manner of introducing PPP in some General and Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria is targeted at increasing the out-of-pocket expenditures of the common man in Nigeria and consequently making health services unaffordable to the majority of the populace. It also enriches certain categories of health

professionals who now take more interest in referring their patients to PPP laboratories at the expense and detriment of the patient. PPP in the health sector in Nigeria is clearly a policy somersault designed to confer monopoly on shylock business outfits especially in Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria. Teaching Hospitals are supposed to be centres of excellence for quality and affordable services, training and research. Any attempt to relegate these statutory functions will meet stiff resistance from the exploited masses.

18. Conference commended the efforts of the World Health Organisation, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency in their efforts at laboratory containment of potentially infectious samples that could encourage transmission of Polio Virus. The efforts have resulted in the declaration and certification of Nigeria as a polio-free nation.

 

CONCLUSION/ APPRECIATION

The 51st Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria is one of the most attended in recent times.

 

We appreciate the Government of Rivers State for providing us with the enabling environment to stage the conference/workshop. We equally appreciate the Rivers State branch of our Association for making us proud by successfully hosting the conference/workshop.

To God be the Glory!

 

Alh. Toyosi Y. Raheem

National President

Suraj A. Junaid

National Secretary

Adeyeye Adetunji Tam

National PRO

 

ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS OF NIGERIA

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