GMLD tasks members on regulatory requirements
THeguild of Medical Laboratory Directors of Nigeria ( GMLD), Lagos State Branch, has urged its members to transform their practices to the level of accreditation and obtain International Standard Organisation ( ISO) certification, as it will prepare them for challenges of the near future.
The Guild stated this at the 9th Scientific Conference and Yearly General Conference ( AGM) of the GMLD, held at The Sickle Cell Centre Idi- Araba, Lagos with the theme, ‘ Medical Laboratory Practice in the 21st Century: Transformation to Accreditation.’
The Chairman, GMLD Conference Planning Committee, Akujuobi C. Igwe, said the conference was aimed to interrogate topical issues in the laboratory private sector, review the state of their practice in the state, network and take the much needed rest from the rigours of private medical laboratory practice.
“This year’s keynote theme reflects one of GMLD’S priority goals. The increasing gap in progress between the small and big laboratories continues to grow and threatens to undermine our gains as a group of people over the years. The subthemes examine the opportunities in states health insurance schemes, profitable and professional laboratory management, Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) productivity tools, and business financing, mergers and acquisitions, amongst others,” he said.
Director and Deputy Registrar, MLSCN Accreditation Service Abuja, Dr. Donald Ofili, said the organisation is promoting and embracing accreditation and its member must demonstrate technical competence so that the results they generate are reliable, can be used for patient management, clinical decision making and policy making.
Ofili also said the organisation has made progress in recent times owing to the regulations from MLSCN. He said: “Before a lab gets registered in Nigeria, it must pass through requirements we have in our document, one in particular called ‘ guideline for setting up medical laboratory.’ Until you meet all those guidelines your lab cannot be registered. So, we have made progress as a nation.”
Ofili said for accreditation to become compulsory in the country, there has to be a policy shift from the government and once that directive comes through, the organisation will swing into action. “The only thing that is compulsory right now is to have your laboratory registered. But in no distant time, accreditation will become compulsory in Nigeria,” he said.
The Chairman, GMLD Lagos branch, Adekoya Abimbola Julius said the organisation is repositioning itself to prepare for the challenges of the near future.
Julius also encouraged their members to step up to meet with the new innovations and technologies that are taking the centre stage in the medical laboratory profession.