The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), charged with the maintenance of good standard of medical laboratory practice and services, including statutory inspection, approval and monitoring of all medical laboratories including those adjoined to clinics, private and public health institutions (Cap M25, LFN 2004), will shortly commence full-scale enforcement of the provisions' of the law relating to medical laboratory services in the country. 

Consequently, any person or corporate body operating a medical laboratory facility should: 

• Ensure that the facility is duly approved by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria 

• Be enrolled in the national database of medical laboratories as maintained by the Council 

• Be enrolled in the National External Quality Assessment programme of the Council and or accredited inter- laboratory test comparison for all tests being carried out. 

• Be enrolled in the National Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programme for quality medical lab services delivery through certification and accreditation. 

It should be clearly noted that any person or corporate body operating a medical laboratory without the approval of Council is doing so in flagrant abuse of the extant law and such a facility shall be closed down. 

Employers of and non medical laboratory scientists performing medical laboratory tests for gain are liable to six months imprisonment or N 100,000 fine or both on conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction. 

Members of the public are, by this notice, encouraged to demand as of right proof of approval by MLSCN before submitting themselves to any facility for medical laboratory investigation. That is one way of ensuring that their test results and reports will be accurate, reliable and reproducible. 

For more information on Medical Laboratory Services Regulation in Nigeria, please visit www.mlscn.gov.ng_or email: [email protected] 

Signed: 

MANAGEMENT