By Franca Ofili
Prof. Tosan Erhabor, Registrar, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), has implored stakeholders to avoid acts that could impede ongoing efforts to sanitise medical laboratory facilities.
Erhabor said this in a statement by Mrs Felicia Ginikanwa, Head, Corporate Affairs and Public Relations of the Council, in Abuja on Saturday.
According to him, stakeholders within the health laboratory system need to avoid any act, sentiment or utterance that will impede ongoing efforts to sanitise medical laboratory facilities in the country.
He said that well-meaning stakeholders should be concerned about the quality of tests results emerging from medical laboratories.
Erhabor cautioned against allowing inter-professional rivalry or parochial interests to undermine the laudable efforts of the Federal Government.
He said that the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, had inaugurated a team to transform the health laboratory system to internationally acceptable standards.
He said that the aim was to also meet the yearnings of the citizens for accurate and reliable test results rather than setting the stage for rivalry among health professionals.
“The minister of state recently inaugurated an inclusive Technical Team on Medical Laboratory Regulation and Inspection Against Quackery to ensure accurate and reliable test results
“It will transform the health laboratory system to benchmark international best practices and meet the yearnings of the citizens for accurate and reliable test results,” he said.
He said that the minister was worried about the menace of quackery and the effect of medical tourism on the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
According to him, Alausa rightly intervened by setting up the technical team to change the narrative.
He said that the team comprised of tested and trusted professionals drawn from various stakeholder groups who are already working hard to achieve the mandate of the team.
“Anyone attempting to politicise the mandate by reading meanings outside the spirit and intent of the ministerial directives is being mischievous,” Erhabor said.
He said that the work of the technical team would be solely guided by the interest of the teaming patients rather than the ulterior motive of a few.
He said that the team would consult widely, review the necessary protocols and checklists for laboratory inspection.
“They will ensure that, henceforth, inspection activities are conducted in a friendly, respectful, transparent yet professional atmosphere devoid of any form of confrontation or perceived witch-hunt.
“To achieve this, the minister included representatives of various health professions as well as the media in the team.
“The team owes it a duty to regularly report back to the ministry during the two-year period of its assignment.
“The members should see their assignment as a call to national service requiring the highest level of patriotism, integrity, and dedication,” he said.
He called for support from all stakeholders, adding that effective and efficient health laboratory system is in the interest of every citizen as any citizen could fall ill and his or her fate would depend on accurate and reliable test results. (NAN)