End victimization of medical laboratory scientists, Association begs Buhari

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire to intervene in the victimization of its members in federal and state tertiary hospitals in the country.

It made the call in Abuja while briefing newsmen about the crises involving medical laboratory scientists and the management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

The National publicity Secretary of the association, Casmir Ifeanyi Cajetan, who briefed newsmen, said that a gang of pathologists with the support of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Ikpeme Asanye Ikpeme and the Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof Ogbu Ewezu Ngim were victimizing medical laboratory scientists, and medical laboratory science students undergoing training at the hospital.

The association alleged that, on September 5, pathologists (medical doctors) at the hospital laid siege on medical laboratory facilities and ordered all workers to vacate the facilities, they then went ahead to lock up the facilities with the aid of security agents.

The medical laboratory scientists said the management of the hospital thereafter instituted a directive that only medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory science students of the hospital with identity cards would be allowed into the laboratories.

“Those without ID cards particularly medical laboratory science students of the University of Calabar, who were on mandatory laboratory training, were ushered out of the hospital,” the association said.

The body added that students of medicine from the same University of Calabar who did not possess identification cards were granted access into the medical laboratory.

While saying such actions were creating unrest at the hospital, the association alleged that it also led to the death of a member of the association, Patrick Bassey O’Neil.