Medical Lab Scientists Warn New Reform Bills Could Cripple Nigerian Healthcare

A high-stakes legislative battle has erupted in Nigeria’s health sector as the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) issued a scathing rejection of two new reform bills currently before the National Assembly.

During a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, the association’s National President, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, warned that Executive Bill HB:2701 and its Senate counterpart are not the “reforms” they claim to be.

Instead, he described them as a “dangerous regression” that could destabilize the entire healthcare system, compromise patient safety, and reignite bitter professional rivalries between doctors and laboratory experts.

At the heart of the outcry is a proposed overhaul of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) Act. The new bills seek to amend Sections 3 and 29, which would fundamentally change who governs the profession. Currently, the council is led by specialists to ensure technical excellence, but the proposed changes would open board membership to non-experts and increase the influence of political appointees.

Dr. Ifeanyi slammed this move as “institutional sabotage,” arguing that a regulatory body driven by politics rather than scientific competence would erode the very standards that keep Nigerian patients safe.

He specifically criticized the removal of the requirement for the council’s chairman to be a Fellow of the profession, calling it a “critical vulnerability” that invites non-experts into sensitive decision-making roles.

The association is also pushing back against what it calls “professional capture.” The bills propose including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria on the lab science governing board a move AMLSN argues violates global standards seen in the UK, US, and South Africa, where different medical professions maintain independent regulatory boundaries.

Dr. Ifeanyi was particularly vocal about Section 29, which he claims attempts to limit the role of laboratory scientists in the diagnostic process. Pointing to global health data, he reminded lawmakers that over 70 percent of all clinical decisions are based on evidence generated in the lab.

“To exclude laboratory scientists from diagnostic contributions is to separate evidence from its ownership and institutionalize confusion,” he stated.

Beyond governance, the scientists are sounding the alarm over HB:2695, which they allege attempts to “subsume” specialized fields like molecular diagnostics, genetic testing, and assisted reproductive technologies under general medical practice.

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This legislative overreach, they argue, ignores the specialized training required for these high-tech fields and could reverse the significant gains Nigeria made in diagnostic accuracy during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.

Furthermore, altering the current MLSCN Act which has been upheld in 22 different court judgments could create a legal quagmire and undermine Nigeria’s compliance with international quality standards like ISO 15189:2022.

As the tension mounts, the AMLSN has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly leadership to immediately halt the legislative process. They are demanding a broader consultation with all stakeholders to ensure that any reform aligns with scientific reality rather than political expediency.

Dr. Ifeanyi concluded with a stark warning: any deviation that weakens professional standards is not innovation; it is simply the “exportation of risk” to the millions of Nigerian citizens who depend on accurate laboratory results for their survival