The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria on Saturday raised serious concerns over a controversial bill before the National Assembly, warning that its passage could destabilise Nigeria\u2019s healthcare system, compromise patient safety, and trigger fresh inter-professional conflict in the sector.\n<\/p>\n
The bill, titled Executive Bill HB:2701, alongside a related Senate version, seeks to amend key provisions of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria Act, particularly Sections 3 and 29, which define the governance structure and scope of medical laboratory science practice in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n
Addressing journalists in Abuja, AMLSN National President, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, described the proposed amendment as \u201ca dangerous regression disguised as reform,\u201d warning that it is \u201cmisaligned with global best practices and inimical to Nigeria\u2019s healthcare delivery.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bill does not represent reform; it represents regression. It is dangerous, destabilising, and profoundly misaligned with science and global best practice,\u201d Ifeanyi said.<\/p>\n
At the heart of the controversy is the proposed restructuring of the governing board of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, the statutory body responsible for regulating laboratory science practice in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n
Under the current law, the council maintains professional dominance in its governance to ensure technical oversight. However, the proposed amendment would expand board membership to include non-specialists and increase the influence of political appointees.\n<\/p>\n
Ifeanyi warned that such changes would erode professional independence and weaken regulatory standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cA regulatory system driven by politics rather than expertise is not reform; it is institutional sabotage. Leadership in medical laboratory science cannot be detached from scientific competence,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
He further criticised the proposed removal of the requirement that the council\u2019s chairman be a Fellow of the profession, describing it as a \u201ccritical vulnerability\u201d that could open the door to non-experts controlling sensitive healthcare systems.\n<\/p>\n
The AMLSN also faulted provisions seeking to include the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in the MLSCN governing board, arguing that it violates established global standards of independent professional regulation.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cCollaboration is not co-regulation. What is being proposed is not synergy, but structural overreach and professional capture,\u201d Ifeanyi stated.\n<\/p>\n
Globally, health systems in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States and South Africa maintain clear boundaries between professional regulatory bodies, with collaboration occurring at the level of clinical practice rather than governance.\n<\/p>\n
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Another major concern raised by the association is the contradiction in Section 29 of the bill, which broadly defines medical laboratory science but limits practitioners\u2019 role in diagnosis.<\/p>\n
According to Ifeanyi, this provision contradicts scientific reality, noting that laboratory data underpin the majority of clinical decisions.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 70 per cent of clinical decisions depend on laboratory-generated evidence. To exclude laboratory scientists from diagnostic contributions is to separate evidence from its ownership and institutionalise confusion,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
The AMLSN also condemned a related provision in HB:2695, which seeks to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, alleging that it attempts to subsume core laboratory science functions\u2014including molecular diagnostics, genetic testing, and assisted reproductive technologies\u2014under medical practice.\n<\/p>\n
Ifeanyi described the move as a \u201cstealth-driven legislative overreach\u201d that could compromise specialised fields and endanger patient care.\n<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s current MLSCN Act, Cap M25, 2004, has been upheld in over 22 judgments of the National Industrial Court, forming a significant body of legal precedent. Experts warn that altering the law without proper alignment could create regulatory conflicts and legal uncertainty.\n<\/p>\n
The AMLSN cautioned that the proposed amendments could also undermine compliance with international laboratory standards such as ISO 15189:2022, which governs quality and competence in medical laboratories globally.\n<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s healthcare system relies heavily on laboratory services for disease surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring. According to global health data, laboratory diagnostics influence between 60 to 70 per cent of clinical decisions, making the sector a critical pillar of public health.<\/p>\n
In recent years, the country has strengthened its laboratory capacity in response to outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19, with investments aimed at improving diagnostic accuracy and global health security compliance.\n<\/p>\n
Analysts warn that weakening regulatory structures at this stage could reverse these gains.\n<\/p>\n
The AMLSN also called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately halt the legislative process and allow for broader stakeholder consultation.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about professional rivalry. It is about patient safety and the survival of a critical pillar of Nigeria\u2019s healthcare system. Healthcare must be guided by evidence, not expediency,\u201d Ifeanyi said.\n<\/p>\n
He added that any reform must align with scientific evidence, global standards, and existing legal frameworks.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cDeviation that weakens standards is not innovation; it is the exportation of risk to citizens,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria on Saturday raised serious concerns over a controversial bill before…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[218330,49,48,84,6916,5951,392,89681,218331,218332,218333,218334,218335,218336,218337,5687,218338,4758,218339,2727],"class_list":{"0":"post-566941","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-amlsn","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-health-policy","13":"tag-health-reform","14":"tag-healthcare","15":"tag-healthcare-system","16":"tag-legislative-bills","17":"tag-medical-laboratory-science","18":"tag-medical-laboratory-scientists","19":"tag-medical-regulation","20":"tag-mlscn","21":"tag-mlscn-act","22":"tag-national-assembly","23":"tag-nigeria","24":"tag-nigeria-healthcare","25":"tag-patient-safety","26":"tag-professional-regulation","27":"tag-public-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}