There has been an evident surge in the number of unregistered medical laboratories around the country which have negatively affected the health sector. As indicated by the National Medical Laboratory Scientists and the Ministry of Health, this problem has led to the imminent nationwide clampdown of all unregistered laboratories as well as the perpetrators of these unethical practices. This measure is posed to help curb the menace of bad practices that has ravaged the health sector, endangering the lives of numerous individuals.
Recently, the rate of quackery and unregistered medical personnel in Nigeria has become increasingly worrying. In fact, surveys indicate that more than 50 percent of the Nigerian population have in one way, or another have received treatment from an unqualified medical personal or in an unregistered medical laboratory, which provides a trajectory for understanding how deep this menace has eaten into the health sector’s fabrics, as well as the low ranking that our healthcare system has received globally.
Policies for the comprehensive running of MLSCN to be formulated.
Joseph Ekumankama, the Minister of State of Health has however notified the general public of the Federal Government’s intention to shut down every unregistered medical laboratory in the country. This was duly stated to the management and staff of the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, charging them to continue working hard towards discharging their statutory duties. This was said at the council courtesy meeting, headed by Dr. Tosan Erhabor, at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Abuja.
The Minister asserted, in a statement made available by Ahmed Chindaya, the Director of Press, Ministry of Health, that the needed policies to ensure the comprehensive running of the council would be formulated. In the statement, the Minister, appreciative of the visit assured that the Ministry would increase needed supports and backings for the actualization of the council’s mandates and responsibilities. He further assured that the schemes to accomplishing the President’s plan for the health sector was underway.
Ekumankama encourages members to work hard for sector’s improvement.
Going forward, Ekumankama appealed to all the members to not regress in the course of their hard works, encouraging them to push more boundaries and spend more time working, so as to ensure the sector’s improvement. Responding to the issues and requests of unregistered laboratories raised by the members of the council, the Minister noted that the imbibed act governing the council was enough to enable them to ensure the regulation of laboratories in hospitals across the country and nothing should restrain them from doing this.
He however asserted that all healthcare centers under the Federal Ministry of Health must be the first set to implement the full provisions of the law, as well as the laboratories in the state hospitals noting that medical laboratories not registered with the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria will be shut down. Also, on the validation of the In Vitro Diagnostics in Nigeria, the Minister indicated the full support of the Ministry of Health for the MLSCN’s implementation, monitoring and enforcement of everything related with the regulation of laboratory products.
Ministry to resolve non-registration of government agencies.
He also noted that the Ministry would resolve the non-registration of government agencies. Talking on the problem of quality assurance, he stated that all medical laboratories across the country must adhere to due process and ensure their registration with MLSCN, or risk being clamped down. Also, MLSCN’s Registrar, Dr. Tosan Erhabor, whilst congratulating the Minister on his appointment, noted that it is MLSCN’s responsibility to ensure the regulation of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession in the country, as well as setting the standards for practice.
Related Link
MLSCN: Website
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