By Dayo Ojo
The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN has expressed concern over the mismanagement of funds and disregard for rule of law being exhibited by some Chief Medical Directors of Public Teaching Hospitals in the country.
This formed part of the resolutions and recommendations made at the 58th Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN held in Ado-Ekiti.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the Conference, the National President of AMLSN, Professor James Damen alleged that some Chief Medical Directors of Public Teaching Hospitals were in the habit of using government treasury to prosecute legal suits in favour of their professional groups up to appellate level while dishonoring court judgements that granted Medical Laboratory Scientists autonomy of practice and headship of Medical Laboratory Service Department.
According to Professor Damen, the Conference urged the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocations to the health sector with special emphasis on laboratory infrastructure at the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of health care practice.
“Conference urged Government to support the sponsorship and training of Medical Laboratory Scientists at postgraduate and fellowship levels as this will sharpen their skills for research and improved services. The National Assembly should speed up passage of the enactment of the Teaching Hospitals Reconstitution Bill, The Bill among other things, seeks to reduce interprofessional rivalry among various players in the healthcare team in the nation’s Teaching Hospitals by ensuring that all critical stakeholders are involved in the composition of the boards of Teaching Hospitals, with a view to making them more vibrant and efficient.
Opponents of the Bill are perpetrating that Nigerians should watch in silence and helpless docility as the country’s health rating remains the lowest on the global scale, brazenly overlooking its potentials in diversity of health professionals to changes the narratives”.
“The conference noted with concern that Nigeria has never met the 15% total budget bench mark for budgetary allocation to the health sector”.
The Conference made a special call on the Federal Ministry of Health to support the Medical Laboratory Science Council’s accreditation drive for both private and public Laboratories”.
He noted that the Association urged Nigerians to key into the Health Insurance Scheme in order to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
The AMLSN President pointed out that there is the need for Federal Ministry of Health to increase awareness
on non-communicable diseases and improve surveillance on Lassa, Marburg, Monkey and COVID-19 viruses as these still portend significant health threats.
Also, the conference called on State Governments to build public health laboratories with capacities for molecular testing that would help in the diagnosis and genetic surveillance of emerging and re emerging diseases.
“The Conference called on the Federal Government to jettison its idea of outright privatization of healthcare services, as this would mean commercialization of social services which citizens have rights to. The association is worried about the spate of brain drain in the health sector, amongst other factors including poor working environment and remuneration which are determinants of attrition. Conference noted the pivotal roles of Medical Laboratory Scientists in the Nigerian Health System, stating emphatically that medical diagnosis and prescriptions most often are dependent and contingent on the standard of medical laboratories and diagnostic competence of the Medical Laboratory Scientists”.
The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists Of Nigeria also expressed deep concern on the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria and called on the Federal and State Governments to give priority to the rehabilitation of roads in order to reduce avoidable deaths during emergency medical referrals.
“Conference stoutly resists the attempt by a certain professional group in the health sector that are daily encroaching on the professional duties and responsibilities prescribed for Medical Laboratory Scientists as contained in the Scheme of Service, Medical Laboratory Science Council Act 11 of 2003 and other statutes, while appealing to the Federal Ministry of Health. Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Justice and the Presidency to ensure equity, justice and fairness by not hesitating to call any erring health professional group to order in the interest of peace and harmony in the health sector”.
“Conference called on state governments to employ more Medical Laboratory Scientists into the health service as well as upgrade Medical Laboratories in their respective states. Conference commended Ekiti State Government and other relevant bodies for providing the enabling environment for hosting this year’s conference”.