Medical Laboratory Scientists Oppose Health Reform Bills, Warn of Threat to Nigeria’s Healthcare System

PressNGR reports that the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has strongly rejected a set of controversial health reform bills currently before the National Assembly, warning that their passage could weaken healthcare regulation, endanger patient safety, and ignite fresh professional tensions in Nigeria’s health sector.
The association raised the alarm on Saturday in Abuja, where its National President, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, described the proposed legislation as a dangerous move that could reverse gains made in Nigeria’s medical laboratory and diagnostic system.
At the centre of the dispute is Executive Bill HB:2701, along with a related Senate version, both of which seek to amend crucial sections of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) Act—particularly Sections 3 and 29, which define the governance structure and operational scope of medical laboratory science practice in the country.
Speaking to journalists, Ifeanyi said the bill was being presented as reform but in reality represents a major setback for scientific practice and healthcare delivery.
“This bill does not represent reform; it represents regression. It is dangerous, destabilising, and profoundly misaligned with science and global best practice,” he said.
Concerns Over Governance and Professional Independence
One of the key concerns raised by the AMLSN is the proposed restructuring of the governing board of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, the statutory body responsible for regulating laboratory science practice nationwide.
Under the current law, the council is largely managed by professionals in the field to ensure scientific competence and technical oversight. However, the proposed amendment seeks to broaden the board’s composition by including more non-specialists and increasing the influence of political appointees.
According to Ifeanyi, such a change would weaken the council’s professional independence and expose the system to political interference.
“A regulatory system driven by politics rather than expertise is not reform; it is institutional sabotage. Leadership in medical laboratory science cannot be detached from scientific competence,” he stated.
He also criticised the move to remove the legal requirement that the council’s chairman must be a Fellow of the profession, warning that such a provision could allow individuals without adequate technical knowledge to oversee a highly specialised and sensitive area of healthcare.
AMLSN Rejects MDCN’s Proposed Inclusion on MLSCN Board
The association further faulted a provision in the bill that seeks to include representatives of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on the governing board of the MLSCN.
AMLSN argued that this arrangement goes against international standards of professional regulation, where healthcare regulatory bodies are expected to operate independently while collaborating at the level of service delivery rather than governance.
“Collaboration is not co-regulation. What is being proposed is not synergy, but structural overreach and professional capture,” Ifeanyi said.
He noted that countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, and South Africa maintain clear boundaries between professional health regulators, with cooperation occurring in clinical practice—not in the control of one another’s professional institutions.
Diagnostic Role Controversy in Section 29
Another major issue highlighted by the AMLSN is the wording of Section 29 of the proposed amendment, which broadly defines medical laboratory science but appears to limit the role of laboratory scientists in diagnosis.
Ifeanyi described the provision as contradictory and scientifically flawed, arguing that laboratory evidence is central to modern clinical decision-making.
“Over 70 per cent of clinical decisions depend on laboratory-generated evidence. To exclude laboratory scientists from diagnostic contributions is to separate evidence from its ownership and institutionalise confusion,” he said.
Alarm Over Fresh Legislative Overreach
The association also criticised a related bill, HB:2695, which seeks to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act.
According to AMLSN, the bill appears to extend the scope of medical practice into core laboratory science functions such as molecular diagnostics, genetic testing, and assisted reproductive technologies.
Ifeanyi described the move as a subtle but dangerous attempt to take over specialised laboratory functions, warning that such an overlap could compromise technical standards and patient outcomes.
“This is a stealth-driven legislative overreach that could damage specialised practice and expose patients to avoidable risks,” he warned.
Risk to Legal Stability and International Standards
The AMLSN also pointed out that the existing MLSCN Act, Cap M25, 2004, has already been affirmed in more than 22 judgments of the National Industrial Court, making it a legally established framework for regulating the profession.
Experts, according to the association, fear that changing the law without proper alignment with existing legal precedents could trigger regulatory conflicts and prolonged legal uncertainty in the health sector.
In addition, the association warned that the proposed amendments could undermine Nigeria’s compliance with international laboratory quality standards, especially ISO 15189:2022, which governs competence and quality management in medical laboratories worldwide.
Threat to Public Health and National Diagnostic Capacity
Medical laboratory services remain a crucial pillar of Nigeria’s healthcare system, supporting disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and outbreak response.
Laboratory diagnostics are estimated to influence between 60 and 70 per cent of clinical decisions globally, making the profession central to public health outcomes.
In recent years, Nigeria has made significant progress in strengthening its diagnostic capacity, especially during responses to major outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. Analysts now warn that weakening the regulatory structure at this point could reverse those gains and undermine the country’s health security readiness.
Call on Tinubu, National Assembly to Halt Process
The AMLSN has therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately suspend further legislative action on the bills and open the process for wider stakeholder consultation.
The association insisted that the issue goes beyond professional rivalry and should instead be seen as a matter of patient safety and national healthcare integrity.
“This is not about professional rivalry. It is about patient safety and the survival of a critical pillar of Nigeria’s healthcare system. Healthcare must be guided by evidence, not expediency,” Ifeanyi said.
He added that any genuine reform of the healthcare system must be based on science, legal clarity, and internationally accepted standards.
“Deviation that weakens standards is not innovation; it is the exportation of risk to citizens,” he warned.