When Nigeria’s former head of state, Gen.Yakubu Gowon, recently chaired the 50th Anniversary of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), and decried the increasing rate of quackery in the practice of medical laboratory, not a few watchers of the events in the country’s health sector opined that he sounded more like a medical expert than a retired soldier.
However, they were unanimous in their views that the former president’s concern on quackery in the practice of medical laboratory cannot be ignored as he has overtime demonstrated that he is a man of many parts.
The former president is a retired soldier, a PhD holder in political science, and an active evangelist by virtue of being the founder of “Nigeria Prays”, a movement that believes praying for the Nigerian nation. He is also involved in the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme as well as the HIV Programme with Global Fund of Geneva.
It is against the foregoing background, that watchers urged the Council not to rest on its oars in ensuring that only qualify medical laboratory practitioners are registered and allowed to practice, even as the acting registrar of MLSCN, Tosan Erhabor, disclosed that registered membership has grown beyond imagination with the registration of 28,966 MLS (Medical Laboratory Scientists), 24,435 MLT (Medical Laboratory Technicians) and 15,253 MLA (Medical Laboratory Assistants).
Experts noted that Nigeria cannot afford to accommodate quacks in the profession, particularly the Medical Laboratory Technician cadre whose job responsibilities entails the provision of information for patient diagnosis and treatment by performing laboratory tests in toxicology, chemistry, hematology, immunology, and microbiology laboratories; receiving, typing, testing, and recording blood bank inventories.
With the former president’s observation, which observers of the sector considered to have been auspiciously made, and quite apt with the theme, “Medical Laboratory Science Profession in Nigeria: Past, Present and Future”, the question is: “Will the council rise to the occasion and intensify efforts in monitoring and improving the quality of medical laboratory practice through its quality control laboratory located in Zaria? Time will tell.
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