The Akwa Ibom State Government has closed down a minimum of 12 ‘fake’ medical laboratories operating in the state without appropriate licences.
The laboratories were also adjudged to being devoid of standard practices.
The shutdown of the laboratories was conducted by the Ministry of Health, led by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Umoh.
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Some of the offenses listed against the affected centres include lack of certificate of registration with the Ministry of Health, non-evidence of registration with the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, lack of qualified laboratory scientists and other supporting workers.
Lack of test result record book, absence of laboratory register, unavailability of personal operating licence of laboratory technicians, and unethical practices dangerous to medical diagnosis of diseases were also listed as offenses.
In leading the clampdown of the fake laboratories, Umoh said;
“I have received a number of complaints with regards to medical laboratory facilities and practice and it is an attempt to correct some of these abnormalities.
“As a matter of fact, the state Executive Council that has also received many of these reports has directed that this exercise be carried out. So, our intention is to use this exercise to give further directive to the practice of laboratory services in the state.”
The Commissioner said the monitoring of medical laboratories would further be extended to Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Eket and Oron axis, help keep quack laboratories in check.
The Head of the Monitoring/Inspection Team, Dr. Udoh, blamed poor medical diagnosis on the lack of precision in the medical laboratory test administration process.
He lamented that one of the affected laboratories had a student on industrial training taking results instead of a certified laboratory scientist as would be expected.
Others were also said to have impersonated known medical laboratory scientists to defraud the public.
“The clampdown on fake laboratories will continue in the new year till we reposition their services to achieve health for all in the completion agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel,” Udoh said.
The affected 12 fake medical laboratories would only be reopened when their management fulfils the conditions laid out by the Ministry of Health, including the engagement of competent technical personnel in their laboratories.
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