Health workers in the field of Medical Laboratory Science have been called upon to avoid strike action in the course of their duties and to avoid dabbling in politics in the name of unionism.
The minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu gave this advice last weekend in Abuja, while declaring open a national workshop on accreditation of medical laboratories in the country, organized by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN).
He said that strike action in the sector has grave consequences on the masses and that incessant case of strikes by health officials have worked against Nigeria attaining its goal in the health sector.
While calling for separation of politics from their official duties, he said that the issues of citizens’ healthcare should be paramount in the discharge of their functions.
He said:”Strike is the greatest obstacle to what we are discussing today. To allow another person to die is the worst thing to do, enough of this politics, let’s get down to work.”
According to him, issues of citizens’ healthcare should be paramount in the discharge of their functions, stating that, “To allow another person to die is the worst thing to do, enough of this politics, let’s get down to work.”
He maintained that the workshop was not only important to harnessing potentials for the health sector, but will also “gather the necessary inputs for the improvement of the health services.”
In his opening remarks, the Chief Registrar of MLSCN, Prof. Anthony Emeribe said that given the weak nature of laboratory infrastructure in the country, implementation of WHO accreditation standards remains crucial to the success in the sector.
“This programme has been designed in a stepwise fashion aimed towards offering a gradual process of improvement on the quality management system of laboratories, Nigeria needs to further strengthen laboratory capacity for the purposes of effective health systems and sustainability,” he stated
The workshop? was expected to create sensitization and advocacy systems for effective management process of medical laboratories. The Nigerian Airforce, WHO and other health bodies attended the workshop.