The House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services has emphasized the urgent need to prevent the country from becoming a dumping ground for substandard laboratory equipment.
It warned that such negligence may lead to diagnostic errors.
The Committee called on the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) to curb the influx of inferior laboratory equipment and uphold global standards.
It ensured that test results from Nigerian laboratories are recognized and accepted globally.
Emphasizing the Council’s critical role in ensuring quality healthcare and the well-being of Nigerians, the Committee underscored the need to prioritize its operations.
It also called for a review of the Act establishing the Council, last amended in 2003, to determine if updates are necessary, in addition to the immediate enrollment of the Council in the trade portal to enhance its regulatory effectiveness.
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These emerged in Abuja on Monday It was during the Committee’s oversight visit to the MLSCN headquarters in Abuja yesterday.
Members spoke on the Council’s responsibility to ensure that laboratory results are not only critical for disease diagnosis but also meet global standards of acceptance.
The Chairman of the Committee, Amos Magaji, who stressed that the MLSCN is responsible for accrediting laboratory equipment, noted that any equipment imported into the country must meet international standards.
He underscored the critical importance of this, noting that doctors depend on precise lab results for treatment, and any inaccuracies could result in misdiagnosis and improper medical care.
He said: “Medical lab results from Nigeria should be accepted anywhere in the world and if a sample is investigated in the country and taken to any part of the world, we should have the same result so that the results here will be credible.
“We are tired of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical check up which we can do here. We need to ensure that lab results from Nigeria are credible and reliable”.
“We don’t want Nigeria to be a dumping site for substandard lab equipment because this leads to diagnostic errors, this agency is saddled with the responsibility of accrediting laboratory equipment, any laboratory equipment that is imported into the country must be certified to be of international standard because doctors depend on lab results for treatment and if the results are faulty, it will lead to wrong treatment”.
Magaji emphasized that as medical practice continues to advance, it is essential to use standard equipment to ensure accurate results, adding that the Council must also rigorously test reagents used in laboratories nationwide.
He noted that many Nigerians resort to medical tourism due to a lack of confidence in the country’s healthcare system, citing concerns over medical errors and inaccurate test results. He urged the council to step up to its responsibilities.
Emphasizing the need to strengthen the medical laboratory science workforce, the lawmakers called for the establishment of Council offices across the country to enhance its effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate.
The Committee also urged the management to promptly engage with the House whenever faced with delays or bureaucratic bottlenecks.
IMLSCN Registrar Tosan Irabor informed the lawmakers that the Council was formulating strategies to collaborate with all states to enhance monitoring efforts and eradicate quackery in the field.