Wase proposes law against misdiagnosis, false medical report

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has stated the need for a bill to address the rising cases of misdiagnosis of patients in Nigeria.

Wase spoke in Abuja on Friday when a delegation from the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Sciences) visited him. The school had sought a name change to Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos.

The deputy speaker told the delegation, led by the Provost, Dr Sunday Etukudoh, that many Nigerians had lost their lives through misdiagnosis rising from poorly conducted medical reports by laboratory scientists, technologists or attendants .

He said, “The trend is worrisome in our hospitals across the country and must be curbed. Therefore, as lawmakers, a bill to check such inefficient, careless and deadly practices in our hospitals from any lab official is in the offing. The bill, as required, will provide for punitive measures against those turning the hospitals, through fake medical reports, into slaughter slabs for patients.

“Your institution is expected, in this respect, to help in churning out well trained, efficient and meticulous laboratory professionals into the various hospitals to stop the ugly trend.”

Earlier, Etukudoh had urged the National Assembly to begin work on the proposed amendment to the law establishing the school as soon as it was presented to the House, to fast-track the development of medical laboratory practices in the country.

The provost said, “Although last year, a new Act was signed for the school but going by the progress and development of the institution, we are compelled to highly solicit your contribution to the amendment of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Science), Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018, as was enacted by the National Assembly.

“Among other amendments, we will like the name of the school to be amended to be known and addressed as ‘Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos. This is to aid and fast-track implantation of our mandate through the Act, while adequately positioning us well with national and international universities. Our vision is to be a world class institution and a reference point of medical laboratory science in West Africa.”