BY ADEOLA ADENUGA
President Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to use his office to eliminate quacks in the medical diagnostic laboratory sector to save millions of human lives facing the risk of death due to unprofessional practice.
In a statement issued in Lagos, the Initiative for Medical Diagnostic Awareness (IMDA) said several cases of deaths across the country are linked to amateur operators of medical laboratories that issue wrong diagnostic results to patients.
The Executive Director of IMDA, Mr Julius Abimbola Adekoya, a medical laboratory expert and an alumni of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said the Minister of Health, through the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, should map out strategies to shut down medical laboratories operated by unqualified personnel. IMDA said it supports the motion of Hon Patrick Ikhariale in the House of Representatives in support of an effective diagnosis monitoring mechanism.
“Nigeria’s Primary Health Care cannot succeed without an effective diagnostic mechanism."
Thousands of people are sent to untimely deaths through wrong diagnosis. This is largely responsible for the mass movement of many Nigerians seeking medical help abroad. For an effective health policy, the Federal Government must rise up to the challenge by stemming the tide of quacks in the medical laboratory sector,” Adekoya said.
He said the sector regulatory body has challenges, adding: President Jonathan should exert his moral authority in ensuring that the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria is allowed to work without borders. According to him, “Regulation of education and training of medical laboratory scientist is germane these days in the country especially in the advent of many private institutions and universities offering this noble course. This can be achieved within the purview of National Universities Commission and Medical laboratory Science Council in Nigeria.”
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