Association Moves To Check Quackery

The Rivers State branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, (AMLSN), says it is partnering with the national regulatory body of the association, the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) to flush   quacks invading the profession.

Rivers State Branch Chairman of the Association, Dr. Chris Mbata, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen during the opening ceremony of the 2013 edition of the Biomedical Week organised in Port Harcourt last Tuesday.

Mbata alerted that there was gross violation of the ethics of the professions through the employment of science. laboratory technicians, biochemists, microbiologist, analytical chemists by organisations and clinical institutions to handle human fluids.

According to  Mbata,  tendencies constituted; “abuse of professional, ethical and legal responsibilities, as only medical laboratory scientists were trained and licensed by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria to analyse human and animal tissues, body fluids, excretions, production of biological and fabrication of equipment for purpose of medical laboratory diagnosis, treatment and research”.

The chairman commended the House of Representatives for the resolution recently passed which recognised Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, as the only agency charged with the responsibility of regulating the practice in the country.

In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) sector, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, commended the association over its strict adherence to professional standards. He said the House had made drastic moves to endorse  a bill, to establish medical laboratory post graduate school in Nigeria, noting that the bill was already under second reading.

Also speaking, the chairman of the event, Comrade Chika Onuegbu described the association as critical to the preservation of lives. Onuegbu who is the Chairman of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria  in Rivers State, also charged the association to be committed to professional ethics in practice.

Teneh Beemene