Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) yesterday inducted 395 foreign graduates of Medical Laboratory Science.
The registrar of the council, Prof. Tosan Erhabor, while speaking during the induction in Abuja, said the exercise was in line with the council’s mandate to determine periodically the level of competence to be attained by persons seeking to become Medical Laboratory Scientists.
He said, “The council had to review the process of admitting into the profession those who trained outside the country’s shores. The review revealed gaps in training arising from cultural orientation, infrastructure, equipment, as well as processes to which those who trained in-country were accustomed.
“As a responsible regulator, MLSCN moved to bridge the gaps by introducing the re-training program to familiarise those affected with the reality of the health laboratory system here. Today, we are recognising the 11th batch of those re-trained, thus vindicating the policy framework deployed for the purpose.”
Erhabor stated that the inductees are products of various institutions across the world, re-trained at the various training centres approved and supervised by MLSCN across the geo-political zones of the country.
However, the registrar revealed that the exams recorded about 10 percent failure, explaining that the reason is clear, as the council doesn’t just send people to go on training, but there are classrooms, practicals which is followed up with mock exams, and in the end, “ you must pass the exam,” he added.
He said “None of our exams have been queried by any organisation. We have the best process of conducting exams in the country.”
Lamenting that fresh graduates of Medical Laboratory Science are forced to comb the streets in search of internship slots, the registrar appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a centralised pool for the internship posting of fresh Medical Laboratory Scientists.
Also, on brain drain, he urged the ministry to take note of the imperative to open up the employment space to absorb these and other young health professionals.
“Doing so would create an incentive for them to stay back and help to reposition the health sector while slowing down the brain drain currently afflicting the sector,” he urged.
The minister of state for health, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the induction is a crucial step in the efforts of the government to ramp up the training and recruitment of competent, skilled, and versatile manpower for the health sector.
Represented by the senior technical assistant to the minister, Dr Obi Ugbo, the minister commended the MLSCN for not merely inducting new entrants into the profession because they trained abroad, but rightly subject them to a re-training programme and subsequent examinations in-country.