Press Release By The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)

Posted on: Fri 15-06-2018

SETTING UP OF SEPARATE MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE DEPARTMENT NOT ENFORCEABLE IN OUR HOSPITALS -COURT OF APPEAL

This is to bring to the notice of all heads of Medical Institutions and practitioners as well as the public that the Court of Appeal has confirmed that Chief Medical Director/Medical Directors (CMD,MDs) are not under any legal obligation to set up the Department of Medical Laboratory Science in our hospitals aside from the Pathology Laboratories departments headed by qualified Pathologists.

This is sequel to the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 4th of June. 2018 in the case with Appeal No. CA/^/410/2017 "between Professor Edmund Banwat (CMD JUTS) and Mr. Ali Bitrus (DA JUTh) - Appellants Versus Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Association of laboratory Scientist of Nigeria (JUTH Chapter), Mr. Ntuhun Bala Dennis Chairman AMLSN JUTH Chapter and Mr. Binde Samuel Zwakun Secretary AMSLN JUTH Chapter - Respondent" where by unanimous judgment of the three Honourable Justices set aside the contempt of court case against Professor Edmund Banwat, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) and Mr. Ali Bitmus, the Director of Administration (DA) of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). In the judgment, they stated that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) judgment for the setting up of parallel medical laboratory science "department" is not enforceable on any CMDs/MDs. Therefore Prof. Edmund Banwat and Mr. Ali Bitmus were discharged of the contempt of court case against them.

The Nigerian Medical Association hails this judgment and call on all well meaning Nigerians to continue to patronize Pathology laboratories headed by Pathologists for the best patient management in our hospitals.

Dr. Olumuyiwa P. Odusote

SECRETARy GENERAL