The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), has rejected a recent call by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for the privatisation and outsourcing of medical services in public hospitals.
AMLSN indicated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos on Monday, jointly signed by its National President, Mr Toyosi Raheem, and the General Secretary, Dr Surajudeen Junaid.
The NMA had in an earlier statement, suggested that medical services, except those rendered by doctors should be outsourced.
NMA noted that Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) should explore the patronage of private outfits outside the hospitals for such services.
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It suggested that services of medical laboratory scientists, radiographers, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, among others, should be privatised. AMLSN, however, rejected the suggestion, adding that the step would throw health services out of the reach of the common man.
``The step will increase the out-of-pocket health expenses of Nigerians, especially the poor masses and hinder universal health coverage, which is envisaged to be affordable, available and accessible to the citizenry,’’ AMLSN said.
The association (AMLSN) said that the doctors' position that such services be accessed through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) was ``not out of genuine concerns for Nigerians’’.
``If PPP policy is to be adopted, it should be in line with the guidelines of the Federal Government and must be for all professional services in the health sector, including the medical doctors.
``It should not be selective against a particular profession or group of professionals,’’ the scientists said.
AMLSN also decried the implementation of the Yayale Ahmed’s Committee’s Report on the medical sector as being canvassed by the NMA.
It said the Yayale Ahmed’s Committee set up to resolve the disagreements in the health sector, had recommended the merger of some health professionals and specifically placed the medical laboratory scientists under the pathologists.
That recommendation had drawn the ire of scientists (AMLSN), who said that their profession was a distinct calling and should not be relegated as an appendage of the pathologists.
The Yayale Committee also recommended the formation of a Nigerian Medical Council to bring all health professionals under one umbrella to be headed by a medical doctor.
AMLSN said that each professional body in the health sector should be given its respect and be allowed to regulate its activities to optimise its contribution to health care delivery.
``The Yayale Ahmed Committee’s report, in its present form, grossly promotes enslavement of other health professionals and cannot replace judicial pronouncements by eminent jurists that ruled in favour of AMLSN against pathologists.
``Any white paper based on the recommendations that is at variance with the judicial pronouncements and laws regulating the practice of other health professions shall not be accepted by AMLSN and health professionals,’’ the statement added.
The association also disagreed with NMA’s position that elevating other professionals in the health sector to certain positions would prove too costly.
It said that all professionals be encouraged to work hard to reach the zenith of their professions.
The AMLSN particularly kicked against the NMA’s directive that their colleagues should not use results of completed medical laboratory tests performed, reviewed and signed by licensed Medical Laboratory Scientists but not counter-signed by pathologists.
``Pathologists contributed nothing to the generation of such results and do not need to sign them to be acceptable or valid.
``Let Nigerians ask NMA to display the law that empowers them to conduct laboratory tests, sign laboratory results or supervise medical laboratories.
``As it stands today, only the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria is saddled with the task of inspection, monitoring, accrediting and regulating the practice of medical laboratory science in both public and private hospitals in Nigeria, ‘’AMLSN said.
The association also rejected the argument that pathology and medical laboratory science were related and pointed out that even the laws establishing the two professions were different, just like their scheme of service. (NAN)
ETS/AJA
Source: NAN News
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