MLSCN Registrar pledges world-class laboratory standards

…Medical scientists back reform agenda

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Donald Ofili, has pledged to strengthen quality assurance, guarantee accurate laboratory test results and enhance patient safety as part of efforts to boost public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Ofili made the commitment on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) and eminent elders of the profession during a courtesy visit.

He described his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the beginning of a new chapter for the council and the medical laboratory profession, expressing gratitude to the President, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, for the confidence reposed in him.

The MLSCN Registrar said reconciliation efforts led by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had restored harmony within the profession, creating a conducive environment for the council to effectively discharge its statutory responsibility of regulating medical laboratory practice and improving healthcare delivery nationwide.

Emphasising the need for sustained collaboration, Ofili described the MLSCN and AMLSN as complementary institutions established to advance the same professional mandate. He called for stronger cooperation between both organisations and appealed to senior members of the profession to continue providing guidance as the new leadership consolidates ongoing reforms.

He reaffirmed his commitment to building on the council’s achievements in laboratory accreditation and regulation, noting that Nigeria has attained global recognition as an accreditation body.

According to him, the council will sustain reforms aimed at positioning Nigeria’s medical laboratory practice among the world’s leading standards.

Earlier, AMLSN National President, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, described Ofili’s appointment as well deserved and a significant boost for Nigeria’s healthcare sector.

He said the appointment followed Ofili’s impressive performance while serving in an acting capacity after the death of the immediate past Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Tosan Erhabor, adding that medical laboratory scientists across the country had warmly welcomed the development.

Describing Ofili as “a square peg in a square hole,” Ifeanyi said the new Registrar had already recorded major achievements, including securing the council’s admission into the Global Accreditation Cooperation (GLOBAC), a milestone that confers international recognition on laboratories accredited by the MLSCN.

He explained that the achievement, alongside the council’s membership of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), empowers the MLSCN to accredit laboratories within Nigeria, across Africa and beyond while ensuring compliance with internationally accepted standards.

Highlighting the importance of laboratory services in healthcare delivery, the AMLSN President said more than 70 per cent of clinical decisions depend on laboratory investigations, making quality assurance and effective regulation indispensable to patient care, disease surveillance and public health planning.

Ifeanyi expressed confidence that Ofili’s leadership would further strengthen laboratory regulation, improve quality assurance and enhance patient safety across the country.

He pledged the association’s unwavering support and urged medical laboratory scientists to remain united in advancing professional excellence and improving healthcare outcomes for Nigerians.

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