By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum, YMLSF, has demanded for the inclusion of members of the Health Regulatory Councils into the Health Sector Reforms Committee, recently constituted by President Mohammadu Buhari.
The young scientists called for a review of the membership composition of the reforms committee, stressing that it is only when the memberahip composition is reviewed for subsequent inclusion of members of Health Regulatory Councils that the government is said to have done justice to the issue; whereby every union in the health sector is said to have been carried along.
The demand is contained in a communique, jointly signed by the forum’s National President, Mr Emmanuel Nkumah, and it’s National Secretary, Jegede Suleiman, respectively, calling on President Buhari to heed to the forum’s call.
According to the communique sighted by our correspondent on Friday in Calabar, the young scientists expressed dismay at the marginalization of the YMLSF by the administration of President Buhari.
They expressed surprise to learn that the Reform Committee was constituted in favour of particular groups among the health professionals, without taking into cognisant of the fact that the laboratory scientists too had contributied and are still contributing to the development of the nation.
They said, “We are deeply worried at the alarming number of physicians on the health reform team, as we observed that the Nigerian health sector is made up of over 10 core healthcare stakeholders, which include the Medical Laboratory Scientists, Nurses, Radiographers, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Health Informatics, and others.”
Among the groups that the laboratory scientists are soliciting for inclusion in the Health Sector Reforms Committee after review are: Medical Laboratory Scientists Council of Nigeria, Pharmacist Council, Nursing Council, Radiographers, among others.
They stressed that it would be an opportunity for members of the regulatory councils to bring their expertise to bear.
The laboratory scientists also called for observation of the principle of equity, fairness; stressing that justice demands that critical stakeholders in the health sector must be treated equally; adding that patients’ rights advocated that membership should be drawn from all stakeholders, including but not limited to all health professionals and ancillary staff groups/unions in the sector.
They added, “It is our utmost desire that the reform committee comes up with solutions that will finally lay to rest the challenges in the health sector, but the number of physicians to other health workers ratio is unsuitable and may hamper any resolution that may arise from the committee.
“We, therefore, recommend that representative of health regulatory councils such as the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Pharmacist Council, Nursing Council, Radiographers, and Physiotherapist Council be included, to step up the numbers of other health workers on the reform committee and bring their expertise to bear.”
