Be wary of quackery in lab services -expert

med-lab

A Medical Laboratory Scientist, Mr Chinenye Nwekpe, on Monday warned Nigerians against patronising quack laboratory services.

Nwekpe, who is the former Chairman of Medical Laboratory Scientists Association of Nigeria, Enugu Chapter, gave the warning in Enugu.

He noted that fake laboratory scientists jeopardise good healthcare delivery in the various rural communities, advising the public to report activities of quacks to the relevant authorities for appropriate sanctions.

Nwekpe said that the Medical Laboratory Scientist Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) was the statutory regulatory body that was empowered by the MLSCN Act 11 (2003) to regulate the practice of Medical Laboratory Science in the country.

He explained that any practitioner not duly certified by MLSCN is a quack and should be shunned at all costs by patients interested in quality health care.

According to him, the quacks make patients suffer untold hardship and pains because they lack the requisite training to discharge their responsibilities.

“Anywhere you go for lab test without a MLSCN certificate being hung on the wall for public to see and read; it might suggest that you might be engaging the services of quack laboratory scientists.

“Again, anybody who practises or claims to be a medical laboratory scientist without due certification by MLSCN must be avoided and reported to appropriate quarters for sanctions,’’ he said.

He said that the council had received several complaints which had led to many arrests, adding that some quacks had been charged to court while others were awaiting arraignment.