The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health has arrested two persons found to have breached the essential regulatory framework guiding the operations of medical laboratories and sealed up no fewer than 12 premises Uyo, the state capital at the weekend.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Vincent Umoh, explained that the clampdown followed hordes of complaints of unethical practices involving operators, which, according to him, has become a big threat to the health of the over six million Akwa Ibom population.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo, the state capital shortly after the routine Inspection by the task force team, Umoh said the raid was in compliance with the directive of Governor Udom Emmanuel at the last State Executive Council (SEC) meeting over allegations of poor medical services by medical Laboratories operators in the state.
The Commissioner listed offenses of the sealed laboratories to include lack of certificate of registration with the state Ministry of Health, non-registration with Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, lack of qualified laboratory scientists and other supporting staff in the affected laboratories.
Others were lack of reliable test results from the laboratories, comprehensive record book, and lack of personal operating license of the laboratory technicians as well as other unethical practices dangerous to medical diagnosis of diseases.
“I have received a number of complaints with regards to medical laboratory facilities and practice and it is an attempt to correct some of these abnormalities .”
“As a matter of fact, the state Executive Council that has also received many of these reports has also directed that this exercise be carried out. So our intention is to use this exercise to give further directive to the practice if laboratory services in the state,” he said.
The Commissioner disclosed that monitoring of medical laboratories will be extended to other parts of the state such as Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Eket, and Oron axis of the state to check quacks and fake laboratories in the state.
“We are going out on monitoring to make sure that Laboratory facility services in the state are in conformity with what is expected to the extent that the practices are at least of the best practices.
“We have started with medical Laboratories in Uyo metropolis but we would certainly extend it to all nooks and crannies of the state,” he added.
The Head of the Monitoring /Inspection Team Dr Udoh said lack of precision in medical laboratory tests administered to patients has resulted in poor medical diagnosis.
According to him, such medical diagnoses emanating from defective laboratory facilities could mislead Medical Doctors in prescribing the right drugs for the treatment of various ailments.
He said one of the laboratories visited was using a student on Industrial Training to work and issue test results instead of a certified laboratory scientist, while others impersonate popular names of laboratory scientists in the state to defraud unsuspecting members of public.
“The clamp down on fake laboratories in the state would continue in the new year till we re-positioned their services achieve health for all in completion agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel.”
He explained that those laboratories sealed would only be reopened when their proprietors fulfilled all conditions by the state Ministry of Health including engagement of competent technical personnel in their services.
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