Rivers: ‘Medical Council ’ll Close Down Fake Labs’

The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria will visit Rivers State on July 27, 2009 to clamp down on all fake and substandard laboratories in order to sanitise the council in the state.

The state Chairman of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Comrade Chris Mbata who disclosed this to The Tide in a tephone interview said the exercise which will last for three days will enable officials inspect all laboratories in Rivers State and close down the ones that are fake.

Mbata explained further that the shut down of medical laboratories in the state.

“After the identification of fake laboratories at Eleme, Ahoada, Oyigbo and Omoku we decided to notify the Medical Laboratory Science Council of the development. This is because it is the only body that has the authority to close down illegal operators”, he explained.

While restating the association’s resolve to work with the government to rid the council of quacks in the state, the chairman further called for the employment of more qualified laboratory scientist and for the upgrading of equipment in government hospitals.

According to him, the state has recorded over 200 laboratories but only 100 have the license to operate.

“If equipment used in the laboratories are fake and sub-standard, there are every possibility that the results produced will equally be fake and when such result is presented to a doctor to work with, the doctor invariably treat a patient with fake result which will automatically endanger the patient’s life or possibly lead to the death of the patient,” he stressed.

He commended the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi for his developmental strides in health care delivery in the state.