By Ibrahim Kado
Gombe – The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has urged the National Assembly to reject the proposed amendment to the Medical Laboratory Scientists Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) Act Cap M25, LFN 2014, saying the amendment would negatively affect health care delivery in the country.
AMLSN National Publicity Secretary Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, made the call while briefing newsmen at the end of the general meeting of the association in Gombe on Saturday.
“We urge the legislature as the conscience of the society to rise up and protect the fragile health care system in Nigeria.
“The proposed amendment is a retrogressive agenda solely for the aggrandizement of a section of the health care system.
“The amendment will make worse the precarious and very deplorable Nigeria health indices,” he said.
According to him, the amendment would compromise and remove the confidence of the World Health Organisation (WHO), donor agencies, funding and implementing partners in the system.
“The consequential apathy this will cause to the current HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis intervention programmes and other efforts in Nigeria by these organisations will be incalculable.
“All the proposed amendments are on the issues we had obtained more than eight judicial interpretations and declaratory judgments across the country.
“The judiciary holds that, the medical laboratory science is a profession distinct from medicine and that there is no conflict between the MLSCN Act Cap M2, LFN, 2004 and the MDCN Act CAP M8, LFN, 2004,” he said.
Ifeanyi added that the association’s opposition to the proposed amendment was because it was undesirable and counterproductive.
“We say no to those pushing for the amendment because we are bound by the law to protect life, the society and the people of our country,” he said.
(NAN)
