Posted on: Mon 12-06-2017

PRESS BRIEFING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RADIOGRAPHERS OF NIGERIA (ARN) ON THE PROPOSED NATIONAL COUNCIL ON RADIOLOGY AND RADIATION MEDICINE (NCR) BILL IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
PROTOCOLS.

Radiography is the art and science of application of various forms of radiant and non-radiant energies on human beings and animals in order to promote health, treat diseases, and produce various diagnostic images using different imaging modalities.

Diagnostic images can be produced using, but not limited to the under listed imaging modalities:

a) X-ray Imaging
b) Ultrasound Imaging
c) Radionuclide Imaging
d) Computed Tomographic Imaging (CT Scan) 
e) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 
f) Radiotherapy
g) Industrial Radiography

A Radiographer is a medical professional who is trained, registered and a qualified personnel with the proficiency to handle any of the aforementioned imaging techniques.

[There exists] An established board that regulates the practice of radiography in Nigeria - The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), established by the act CAP 1987 and as amended as ACT 2004.

It was therefore a rude shock when we stumbled on a proposed act by an Honorable member of the House of Representatives, to establish a national council on radiology and radiation medicine (NCR). It is a bill that seeks an unholy marriage between one regulated profession on one hand (Radiography) and others accommodated in regulated professions (Medicine and possibly Nursing and Engineering) but who by themselves or others acting for and on their behalf, with or without consents or authorization seek for professional status and divorce from their parental stock. Nigerian Radiographers [home and abroad] seek neither. They were not consulted and have no knowledge or inputs into the said bill.

The bill is vague and does not lend itself to clear citation, reference and understanding, neither does it toe the line of international best practices. For example it is difficult to decipher any positivity in a bill which seeks to establish a council of 12 medical doctors, 3 radiographers, and 2 medical physicists.

The Nigerian nuclear regulatory authority (NNRA) is allocated one slot in the council because the bill in section 1 (1) 25 – 27 WRONGLY listed it as one of the agencies that monitor and regulate professionals.

Radiographers are already being regulated as professionals [by the RRBN], what is the motive for lumping them into others who don’t have their status of satisfaction and placement?

While section 2 (b) and (c) created the impression that radiologists are different and distinct from radiotherapists, the explanatory memorandum, page c351 provides that the two are the same.

The bill has no respect for the doctrine of double jeopardy as it makes provisions for a professional to compulsorily register with its council in addition to registration and licensing by the parent board or council, e.g. RRBN and MDCN.

Other duplicities include double disciplinary bodies of coordinate jurisdictions, section 1(k) 22 – 24.

Radiographers are not satisfied that the bill seeks to establish an empire for radiologists outside of medical council, where other radiologist form the majority to lord anything over others, including Radiographers who are professionals in their own right.

Nigerian Radiographers reject the bill and refuse to be associated in anyway with it. We are satisfied with the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) as our regulatory body.

We are also aware of our legal right to fair hearing and freedom of association.

We stand firmly with the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN).

Medicine, which is a profession, is already being regulated by the MDCN. Radiology is a sub-specialty of Medicine with a post graduate college that also has a governing board. What does the tax payer and the innocent Nigerian stands to gain from the proposed bill?, nothing but extra burden: duplication of duties of existing regulatory bodies. It will do more harm than good to the health sector which in turn affects the general public.

We call on well-meaning Nigerians [home and abroad] and the entire citizenry to call for active participation of Radiographers who are the end users in standard radio diagnostic equipment purchase, in order to help in accelerating the goal towards standard health care delivery rather than allowing an omnibus bill scale through.

Elizabeth Balogun,
President,
Association of Radiographers of Nigeria

Long Live Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN)
Long live Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN)
Long live Nigerian union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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