Medical Scientist Caution Against Quacks

The Rivers State branch of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria have warned members of the public on patronising fake trado-medical specialists, since the consumption of concoctions would worsen their health status.

The Chairman, Dr. Chris Mbata gave the warning in a media interactive forum organised by Silverbird Communication over the weekend in Port Harcourt.

Dr Mbata asserted that a lot of people are endangering their lives by taking concoctions, which are not scientifically ascertained stressing that the public should first consult qualified medical doctors or medical laboratory scientists who would carry out adequate test to ascertain what is ailing them.

Dr. Mbata also revealed that a lot of medical laboratory scientists were quacks, noting that the situation has sent so many people to their early graves following fake reports of them contracting HIV/AIDS.

 The chairman of MLSN in Rivers State warned that most of the HIV/AIDS tests carried out by these quacks are unconfirmed and as a result most members of the public have gone through trauma until authentic tests were conducted.

He also charged the public to differentiate between medical laboratory scientists and science laboratory operators as both do not serve the same purpose.    

Following the engagement of medical laboratory scientists to man public hospitals in the state, Dr Mbata landed the Rivers State Government for the action, saying it would improve the quality of service in government owned hospitals.

He, therefore, tasked the private hospitals to follow the good step of government by engaging professionals to man their facilities.

 In order to rid the state of quacks, he assured that the body has commenced visitation and inspection of medical laboratory outlets and would prosecute defaulters in line with the Act establishing the association.