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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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NMA, lab scientists disagree on functions in new law
CONFLICTING remarks from professionals in the health sector have greeted the Medical Laboratory Council Act passed last year.
While the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described it as being in conflict with the subsisting law on medical laboratory practice in the country, the Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has seen it as a welcome development.
The NMA national chairman, Dr. Wole Atoyebi, told The Guardian that the law contravened the provisions of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act Cap 221 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
He urged that the Act should be abrogated to stem the crisis in the health sector it caused.
Atoyebi lamented that during debate on the bill by the National Assembly, all stakeholders in the sector were not given any opportunity to contribute to it.
"We are totally against the Act because of the damage it will cause to health institution in the country. The House failed to allow any member of the public or NMA to have an input and to make matters worse, all the three readings of the bill were done in a single day," he said.
The bone of contention, according to investigation by The Guardian, centres on who is a pathologist? The new Act gives laboratory scientists the power to operate as pathologists but the doctors insist that they are the only qualified pathologists in the health sector.
But the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of AMLSN, Mr Chukwuemeka J. Nwosu has decried the NMA's action.
He said: " The recent comments by the NMA only show the body's intention to perpetuate its oppressive tendencies and over-heat the cordial relationship among the various healthcare professionals in the country all of whom have their respective enabling Acts or Decrees, which control their professions.
"From comments made so far by NMA and its leadership, it is clear that the association is totally ignorant of the approved duties of pathologists who are medical doctors. They are totally ignorant of the content of Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria Act 11 of 2003. They are hell-bent on imposing their selfish, oppressive and arrogant wish on the Nigerians."
Nwosu advised Nigerians to ignore the call by NMA and instead, should refuse treatment without appropriate medical diagnostic investigations by laboratory scientists. He further said that a registered and licensed medical laboratory scientist must sign the result.
AMLSN also stated that medical laboratory scientists are the only professionals whose approved duties include carrying out routine and specialised medical laboratory investigations, among other functions.
"The Nigerian public is also advised to disregard the misinformation against other professionals who are members of the healthcare team because no one professional group can arrogantly impose her wish on other vital professional groups in the team," Nwosu said.
Before now, other professionals in the healthcare sector which included pharmacists, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, medical and health workers, among others have constantly accused doctors of trying to play god.
They also blame the doctors for most of the crisis in the health sector.
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