The objective of commemorating the Biomedical Laboratory Science Day is to increase awareness on the role of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria context) in quality and effective health care. No doubt, our profession plays very important roles in diagnosis, treatment, research and development, public health care, contribution to human resources developments, Management of material and other resources-human and money inclusive etc.

 

The commemoration of the day annually, affords members and the public to note that Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (Medical Laboratory Scientists) are one of the largest groups of health care professionals (3rd in numerical strength in Nigeria in this order- Nurses, Doctors, and Medical Lab Scientists etc. Despite this fact, our role in medicine is not fully understood by the patients and their families and few health professionals within health care administration.

 

All chapters and branches in Nigeria have been directed and urged to commemorate the day with a view of raising further awareness about Medical Laboratory Science and its practitioners.  All members are to use the Day to actively promote the professional skills and contributions of Medical Laboratory Scientists to ensure better health services in Nigeria.

 

Theme: The theme for 2015 World Biomedical Science day is:Patients’ Safety First

 

 Healthcare context is characterized by a high degree of complexity, involving a broad number and variety of medical disciplines networked for prevention, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of human health/disease conditions.

 

Despite the eager efforts of the healthcare personnel, sometimes things might (and actually do) go wrong, thus producing unintentional harm (eventually serious) to the patients. As such, patients’ safety must be considered one of leading healthcare challenges.

 

What is Patients’ safety? This is commonly considered as the reduction of risk of unnecessary harm associated with healthcare to an acceptable minimum.  Healthcare-associated harm is any harm arising from or associated with plans or actions taken during the provision of healthcare, rather than an underlying disease or injury.

 

It encompasses the collective intentions of given current knowledge, resources available and the context in which care is delivered (weighed against the risk of non-treatment or other treatment).

 

In medical laboratories, safety in laboratory diagnostics, and more generally in healthcare, encompasses a multifaceted approach based on predicting eventual accidents, reducing the number of conditions that can lead to errors in lab results so that  active faults that can compromised patients’ safety can  be eliminated or at best, minimized.Patients’ safety practice is therefore a type of process or structure whose application reduces the probability of adverse events resulting from exposure to the healthcare system across a range of diseases and procedures. Patients’ safety incident is an event or circumstance that could have resulted, or did result, in unnecessary harm to a patient, thus meaning impairment of structure or function of the body and/or any deleterious effect arising there from (i.e., disease, injury, suffering, disability and death)

 

 

 

Classification of medical errors.

 

Diagnostic errors

 

Error or delay in diagnosis

 

Failure to employ indicated tests

 

Use of outdated tests or therapy

 

Failure to act on results of monitoring or testing

 

Treatment

 

Error in performance of an operation, procedure or a test

 

Error in administering treatment

 

Error in the dose or method of using a drug

 

Avoidable delay in treatment or responding to an abnormal test

 

Inappropriate care

 

Preventive

 

Failure to provide prophylactic treatment

 

Inadequate monitoring or follow-up of treatment

 

Other

 

Failure of communication

 

Equipment failure

 

Other system failure

 

 

 

Evidences have  shown  serious  consequences or potential consequences of  medical errors such as  (1) Death/injury to patients (2)  avoidable  wastage of  financial resources (3)  adverse drug reactions (4) prescription of  unnecessary drugs (5) unnecessary medical/surgical procedures (6) unnecessary hospital admission /loss of  productive man-hours.

 

Medically, the term ‘To Err is Human’ (either omission or commission) may not as simple, as it connotes. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1999, reported that as many as 98,000 people die each year needlessly, due to preventable medical harm, the equivalent of a national disaster every week of every year, three jumbo-jet crashes every 2 days, and largely overcoming the death rate due from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS, which are the three causes that receive far more public attention. Shortly afterward, these data began to marshal considerable public and professional sentiment.

 

State of the Nation

 

AMLSN Congratulates Nigeria and Nigerians for the success recorded in the recent general elections in the country. Just as we did to put Ebola in check, our recent democratic success has further shown that with total commitment by all Nigerians, Nigeria and Nigerians can be shining examples to the world in all matters of national and global interests.

 

AMLSN also congratulates the President Elect- General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) on his success at the polls. No doubt, his excellent track record of performance, passion for the country, credibility, transparency and accountability, love and concern for the masses etc are all responsible for the success. AMLSN also commends President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for exhibiting the attributes of a true democrat during and after the election. This has immensely contributed to making the entire election processes completed successfully, peacefully and creditably to a large extent.

 

Agenda for the incoming administration: There are so many sectors of the Nigerian economy- Health, Power/electricity, petroleum/energy, agriculture, finance, security etc  which require drastic overhauling for positive change and overall positive impacts on the citizenry.

 

 

In the health sector, AMLSN looks forward to positive changes that will (i) Liberalize the headship and restructuring of Federal Ministry of Health with a view of appointing credible, professionally unbiased, experience

 

d health administrators or professionals that will give enabling environments and resources for optimal discharge of quality health cares at all levels in Nigeria.(ii) Give equal opportunities to and treat all  health professionals in the sector with justice, fairness and career progressions and professional autonomy that will make every profession contribute its best to the health sector.( iii) Ensure Universal Health Coverage to Nigerians as envisaged by WHO b (iv) Prohibit commercialization of the health sector through PPP which is a device designed by few CEOs of health institutions in Nigeria to increase out-of pocket health expenses of the masses of this country (v) funding of the health sector and  give significant budgetary allocation to the  laboratory services with a view making medical laboratory services and testing cheaper, affordable and accessible to the masses.

 

(v) Ensure that National Health Act 2014 is implemented in a way that all the positive gains expected from the Act is delivered to the masses.

 

As Medical Laboratory Scientists, we shall be willing and ready to work with his incoming administration to achieve the best for our dear country. Same will be done by our members in all states of the Federation and all the 774 LGAs of the country for optimal results.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Incidents which could have negative impacts on effective patients’ care occur in medical practice. As medical Laboratory scientists, our roles in ensuring safety of patients are of immense values. We are ready and willing to offer our best for the benefits of the masses and our country.

 

In the words of -Janna Malseed- Executive Administrator, IFBLS.''A biomedical laboratory scientist finds out the causes of the disease which ensures better treatment and cure. We understand the work we do and its significance to the patients. We are the experts in our field and the very best people to carry our message to the people. The day gives us a day to promote and celebrate ourselves as a profession'' We therefore see this press briefing as a positive way of engage the press and the public out our professional competences and readiness to carry the responsibilities effective and efficiently. We urge government at all levels to give our members enabling resources and environments for optimal performance.

 

Thank you.

Alh Toyosi Y Raheem

National President, AMLSN

(TEXT OF THE MEDIA BRIEFING DELIVERED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF MADICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS OF NIGERIA (AMLSN) ON WEDNESDAY 15TH APRIL, 2015 TO  COMMEMORATE THE 2015 INTERNATIONAL BIOMEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE DAY HELD AT THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ASSOCIATION AT 12, MASSENYA STREET, WUSE ZONE 6, ABUJA -NIGERIA)