Radiographers Reject Proposed NCR Bill

Posted on: Tue 13-06-2017

Nigerian Radiographers weekend in Lagos rejected what they described as ‘ill-conceived’ proposed bill to establish the National Council of Radiology and Radiation Medicine, NCR, by a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Patrick Asadu.

The bill in question which has passed 2nd reading on the floor of the House, is seeking marriage between one regulated profession on one hand (radiology) and others accommodated in regulated profession (medicine and possibly nursing and engineering).

The radiographers however said the proposed bill is unnecessary as radiography already has a regulatory board.

At a joint press conference of the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria, ARN, and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, in Lagos, the President of ARN, Mrs. Elizabeth Balogun said radiographers were not consulted and have no knowledge or inputs into the said bill.

Balogun who said already they have taken their case to the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, added that the bill does not lend itself to clear citation, reference and understanding; neither does it toe the line of international best practice.

“For instance, it is difficult to decipher any positivity in a bill which seeks to establish a council of 12 medical doctors, three radiographers, and two medical physicists“.

Stating that the bill was another waste of tax payers’ money, she queried, “if radiographers are already being regulated as professionals, what is the motive for lumping them with others who don’t have their status of satisfaction and placement?

“Nigerian Radiographers reject the bill and refuse to be associated in any way with it. We are satisfied with Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria, RRBN, as our regulatory body. We are also aware of our legal right to fair hearing and freedom of Association.”

Speaking, Chairman, Board of RBBN, Hon Abdul Fatare Bakare, alleged that the bill would compound the fragile health institutions, aid and abate quackery in the system.

Bakare said the entire content of the proposed NCR was deeply upsetting and controversial.

He said creation of NCR will result in an ineffective regulatory body because it means one regulatory body will be responsible for multiple professions that require someone with specific knowledge to oversee them.

Bakare called on the Senate and the House of Representatives to confine the dangerous bill, urging them to legislate for adequate funding and training of radiographers in every teaching hospital in Nigeria with a view to reducing acute shortage of radiographers as well as stamp out quackery.

On his part, the South West Coordinator, ARN, Mr. Uzondu Eke, who warned on the dangers of chaos in radiography practice explained that little mistake in the profession could maim a person for life.

He said the discovery of the bill was a rude shock to them as radiographers already have a regulatory body likewise the medicine profession, which is already being regulated by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCAN.

By: Chioma Obinna

Vanguard News

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