Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN, has expressed the need for government to establish health programmes and policy on healthcare financing that would make medical laboratory services free or highly subsidized for the poor masses who could not afford to pay out-of -pocket for such needed laboratory services in Nigeria, not to mention travelling out of Nigeria for such services.
The National President of the Association, AMLSN, Alhaji Toyosi Raheem who stated this weekend in Asaba during the 2017 Public Health Lecture of AMLSN added that foreign supports for diagnosis and treatment of TB, Malaria and HIV from US tax payer’s money and philanthropists have shown that free diagnostic laboratory services could be rendered to the poor masses by the Federal Government through properly mobilized funding mechanisms.
The 2017 AMLSN Public Health Lecture series and Special General Meeting with its theme: ‘’Malaria Diagnosis, Diagnostics and Phytotherapy’’ witnessed different lectures from distinguished medical experts.
Alhaji Raheem noted that the current Rapid Results Initiatives, RRI, of the Federal Ministry of Health should sufficiently integrate medical laboratory scientists even at the proposed 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs, targeted by the federal ministry of health.
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He therefore, urged the Federal Government to establish functional flagship medical laboratories at least one in each of the federal constituencies in the country for accessibility and availability of medical laboratory services at the proposed Primary Healthcare Centres. According to AMLSN National President, ‘’There cannot be quality healthcare services at the PHCs when request for laboratory services cannot be met as at when required, and as close to the people as possible’’.
Raheem however, expr worrisome that while other countries were putting in place structures that would strengthen medical laboratories to enable them effectively combat global health threats, the Federal Ministry of Health has not demonstrated sufficient willingness to partner with AMLSN and give the needed encouragement to Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, MLSCN, in her attempt to eliminate quackery and professional malpractices in the country.
‘’It is worrisome to note that while Standard Organization of Nigeria(SON), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria(PCN) and other regulatory bodies are seen regularly on the electronic and print media sealing companies and markets selling or producing illegal or substandard goods and drugs/foods respectively, similar exercise by MLSCN to sanitize the medical laboratories in Nigeria, was put on hold by fiat, since February 2016 by Federal Ministry of Health’’, he added.
While saying that this has enabled quacks to proliferate the medical laboratories at the expense of quality health services, the AMLSN National President urged the Federal Ministry of Health to lift the embargo on inspection of medical laboratories and allow MLSCN to perform her statutory functions in order to strengthen medical laboratory services and promote heathcare in Nigeria.
Similarly, Alhaji Raheem who later briefed newsmen at the end of their general meeting called on the Federal Ministry of Health to comply with series of court judgements which recognized medical laboratory scientists as distinct professionals qualified to head departments of medical laboratory services in tertiary health institutions.
He described as unacceptable a situation where pathologists head departments of medical laboratory sciences in federal tertiary health institutions in the country.
Alhaji Raheem also accused Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors in federal tertiary health institutions of causing disharmony among the various health professionals by giving preference to some professionals to the detriment of others.
He urged the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole to urgently take steps to set things right by issuing the appropriate circulars directing CMDs and MDs of federal tertiary health institutions to comply with the court judgement which ordered the removal of pathologists from the departments of medical laboratory services.
Alhaji Raheem said the association as a law abiding body will continue to resort to using legitimate means to pursue her demands.
By: Anastacia Eluwa
Nigerian Pilot News
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