Medical Lab Scientists Reject Proposed Health Reform Bills

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has raised strong objections to a controversial health reform bill before the National Assembly, warning that its passage could destabilise the country’s healthcare system and compromise patient safety.

 

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 (MLSCN) Act, particularly Sections 3 and 29, which define the governance and scope of laboratory science practice.

 

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, AMLSN National President, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, described the proposed amendment as “a dangerous regression disguised as reform,” insisting it falls short of global best practices.

 

“This bill does not represent reform; it represents regression. It is dangerous, destabilising, and misaligned with science and global standards,” he said.

 

A major concern for the association is the proposed restructuring of the MLSCN governing board to include non-specialists and increase the influence of political appointees.

 

Ifeanyi warned that such changes could erode professional independence and weaken regulatory standards.

 

“A regulatory system driven by politics rather than expertise is not reform; it is institutional sabotage,” he added.

 

The AMLSN also criticised plans to remove the requirement that the council’s chairman must be a Fellow of the profession, describing it as a move that could allow non-experts to oversee critical healthcare systems.

 

The association further faulted provisions seeking to include the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in the MLSCN board, arguing that it violates global standards of independent professional regulation.

 

“Collaboration is not co-regulation. What is being proposed is structural overreach,” Ifeanyi said.

 

The group also raised concerns over Section 29 of the bill, which it said creates contradictions by defining laboratory science broadly while limiting practitioners’ role in diagnosis.

 

According to Ifeanyi, laboratory services account for the majority of clinical decisions, making such limitations impractical.

 

“Over 70 per cent of clinical decisions depend on laboratory evidence. Excluding laboratory scientists from diagnostic contributions creates confusion,” he noted.

 

The association also opposed a related bill, HB:2695, which seeks to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, alleging that it attempts to subsume core laboratory functions under medical practice.

 

AMLSN warned that the proposed changes could undermine compliance with international standards and reverse gains made in strengthening Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity, especially after recent public health challenges.

 

The body called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to halt the legislative process and engage stakeholders in broader consultations.

 

“This is about patient safety and the integrity of Nigeria’s healthcare system. Reforms must be guided by evidence, not expediency,” Ifeanyi said.