BY Chioma Obinna
Medical Laboratory scientists, under the auspices of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN, have called for the amendment of Section 1 of the National Health Bill, saying the bill in its present state  took no cognisance of existing professional regulatory laws and statutes in the health industry.

Speaking to the media in Lagos, National Secretary of AMLSN, Mr. Toyosi Raheem, said the bill would do more harm than good as it did not foster the interest of the multi-professional teams within the health secto.

Section (1) of the Bill, which is the establishment of National Health System, defines and provides a frame work for standards and regulation of health services.

National Secretary of AMLSN explained that section 1 of the bill had already disdained and prejudiced various relevant existing professionals.

further Raheem argued that the sub section which set out the rights and duties of health care providers, health workers, health establishments and users was not only ambiguous and irrelevant but also conflicts with and turns a blind eye on the existing laws that established the National council on Establishment whose functions and powers are by law to prescribe duties and responsibilities for all cadres of workers in the public service through their various scheme of service.

He said: “The Bill will not only conflict with the existing regulatory laws and statues, but will increase the crises in the health sector in Nigeria. Therefore, the victims of this crisis shall be the innocent patients, healthcare professionals and the larger society that visit and patronise our healthcare facilities.”

Raheem who was speaking at a press conference to announce the 46th Annual Conference Medical Laboratory Science Week with the theme: Quartet of Non Communicable Disease- The Panacea”,  said AMLSN support the need for Nigeria to implement a health Bill replica of the practiced in most developed countries.

Speaking, the Lagos State Chairman of AMLSN, Mr. Olawale Oladubu who announced that medical laboratory scientists support the National Health Bill but stressed that the reverse will be the case should the Bill be passed in its current state.