MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE COUNCIL OF NIGERIA

COMMUNIQUE OF THE FIRST MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES SERVICES FORUM HELD FROM 10TH TO 12TH OCTOBER, 2013 AT THE PERMANENT HEALDQUARTERS OF MLSCN UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN DURUMI, AREA 1, GARKI, ABUJA.

The three-day maiden Medical Laboratory Services Forum comprising Medical Laboratory Scientists, other Lab Practitioners, Physicians, Manufacturers, Importers and Marketers of In-Vitro Diagnostics and members of the public that access laboratory services was held from the 10th to 12th of October, 2013 with the theme 

"Medical Laboratory Services: Impact & Challenges". The forum after exhaustive discussion resolved as follows: 

1. Commended Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR for commissioning the Public Health In-Vitro Diagnostics Control Laboratory in Lagos which will go a long way in curbing the proliferation of fake and sub-standard laboratory equipment, kits and other laboratory consumables in the Nigerian market. 

2. That the Bill of Rights of patients should be recognized and upheld in all activities geared towards ensuring the well-being of the patient who is at the core of health services delivery. The forum highlighted the need to counsel the patient before and after any laboratory process. 

3. All Medical Laboratory Scientists & other practitioners are to ensure that laboratory results emanate from quality assured processes and exhibit responsibility through signing out of only validated laboratory results/reports. 

4. Laboratory professionals are encouraged to act or err on the side of professional ethics to avoid personal, vicarious or criminal liabilities. These have legal implications considering the oaths taken by different professions at the point of licensure to practice particularly as the public are becoming more aware of their rights and the need to accept full responsibility for the results generated in the laboratory. 

5. All professionals working within the health sector must learn to adhere to their professional boundaries in line with their professional code of conduct and ethics. The forum frowned at fee sharing and other unwholesome practices engaged in by some professionals in the health sector thereby promoting malpractice with poor laboratory results. 

6. Bemoaned paucity of fora where health professionals with common work environment have opportunity to discuss on the peculiar issues of common interest. The need for more interactive session such as the recently concluded medical laboratory services forum should be championed by all the health regulatory agencies to promote the spirit of team work, create conducive work climate and provide suitable platform for various contentious issues to be addressed within their proper perspective was emphasized. It is expected that this to a large extent will compliment Government's efforts in bringing to an end the unnecessary bickering amongst health professionals. 

7. Agreed that there is need to re-appraise the interpretation of diagnostic values of some of the test methods which have recently been involved in one or more controversies on the accuracy of the test method used such as the Widal test for Typhoid and HIV screening tests algorithm. The forum emphasized the need to expand the already existing program on Quality Management Systems in a phased manner to cover all public and private laboratories for country wide institutionalization of processes that will lead to actualization of accurate and reproducible results, thereby reducing capital flight through medical tourism.

8. Frowned at the practice in some institutions using Medical Laboratory Technicians and Assistants as only data clerks contrary to their training as support staff working under the supervision of Medical Laboratory Scientists in the diagnostic laboratories. The forum agreed on the need for professionals to continuously improve on their knowledge and skill thereby striving towards professional excellence which will impact positively on the quality of healthcare services. 

9. Commended the initiative of MLSCN towards having a representative of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in its laboratory inspection team for the purpose of allaying fear of dual standards in assessing various facilities irrespective of the professional background of proprietors as well as promoting transparency & peer review. This will also enhance the clinic- laboratory interface which hitherto had not received the attention it deserves. 

10. Expressed immense appreciation to the following for their participation and contribution towards the success of the maiden Medical Laboratory Services Forum in Nigeria - Hon Minister of Health, Prof C. Onyebuchi Chukwu; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health, Hon Ndudi 

Elumelu; Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum, Down Stream, Hon Dagogo Peterside; Chairman of the Occasion and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Governing Board, Prof Ivara Esu, OFR; Keynote Speaker and Chairman of Gombe State University Governing Council, Prof Idris Mohammed, OON; Registrar/CEO, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. A. Ibrahim, MNI; Former Chairman, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria Governing Board, Prof Dennis Agbonlahor; Principal Partner, Lamilo Chambers, Barr Musa Baba Panya; Project Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Prof. Nasidi; Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors for providing free medical laboratory tests to the public; Manufacturers/Importers and Marketers of In-Vitro Diagnostics for their Exhibitions; Laboratory Practitioners; Physicians; International Partners, the Media and members of the public.