The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has
issued guidelines for private sector medical laboratories seeking
to provide testing through completely private arrangements for
COVID-19.
The MLSCN in information posted on its website stated that the
document was developed in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health.
According to the guideline, COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread
throughout the world, leading to significant impacts on healthcare
systems and causing societal disruption.
“To respond effectively to the COVID-19 outbreak, rapid
detection of cases and contacts, appropriate clinical management
and implementation of community mitigation efforts are
critical.
“A key response strategy to reducing the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic is to safely expand diagnostic testing to ensure a larger
number of people can access testing during the public health
emergency.
“During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, medical
laboratories from the private sector have been an important
resource to assist with increasing the scale of testing.
“They have been important resources to assist the scale through
the provision of resources either through financial support or
leveraging existing infrastructure and technical expertise.
“The NCDC has developed a national testing strategy that aims to
harness the public and private sectors to rapidly expand diagnostic
testing.’’
It stated that the document had been developed to guide
engagement with the private sector medical laboratories to help
accelerate the availability of COVID-19 diagnostic testing for the
duration of the public health emergency.
“Throughout the following document, ‘private sector’ will refer
to laboratory facilities which are for-profit or
not-for-profit.
“In the national strategy, there are private medical
laboratories that are being supported to provide testing to the
public sector.
“This has been agreed with the State Governments in the states
where they operate.
“For these private medical laboratories, providing a public
sector function, NCDC and its partners will continue to support the
provision of reagents and consumables so that testing is conducted
at no cost to the patient.’’
In a related development, the Registrar and Chief Executive
Officer of MLSCN, Dr Tosan Erhabor said the document would guide
the private sector to accelerate the availability of COVID-19
diagnostic testing.
In a video posted on the official twitter account of the council
@MedLabNigeria, Erhabor sait it would guide engagement with private
labs for the duration of public health emergency in Nigeria.
“For these private medical laboratories, providing a public
sector function, NCDC and its partners will continue to support the
provision of reagents and consumables so that testing is conducted
at no cost to the patient,” he said.
Erhabor said prospective private medical laboratories for
COVID-19 testing should be granted approval by MLSCN in
collaboration with NCDC in accordance with these Guidelines.
“However, those not granted this special approval and proceed to
conduct COVID-19 testing will be considered to have contravened the
provisions of Section 4 (h) of MLSCN Act.
“Medical Laboratories Regulations for Inspection, Approval,
Monitoring and Accreditation, and will be sanctioned in line with
the provisions of the said regulation,’’ he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Medical Laboratory
Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) is a Federal Government
Statutory Regulatory Agency established by Act 11 of 2003.
(NAN)
The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has
issued guidelines for private sector medical laboratories seeking
to provide testing through completely private arrangements for
COVID-19.
The MLSCN in information posted on its website stated that the
document was developed in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health.
According to the guideline, COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread
throughout the world, leading to significant impacts on healthcare
systems and causing societal disruption.
“To respond effectively to the COVID-19 outbreak, rapid
detection of cases and contacts, appropriate clinical management
and implementation of community mitigation efforts are
critical.
“A key response strategy to reducing the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic is to safely expand diagnostic testing to ensure a larger
number of people can access testing during the public health
emergency.
“During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, medical
laboratories from the private sector have been an important
resource to assist with increasing the scale of testing.
“They have been important resources to assist the scale through
the provision of resources either through financial support or
leveraging existing infrastructure and technical expertise.
“The NCDC has developed a national testing strategy that aims to
harness the public and private sectors to rapidly expand diagnostic
testing.’’
It stated that the document had been developed to guide
engagement with the private sector medical laboratories to help
accelerate the availability of COVID-19 diagnostic testing for the
duration of the public health emergency.
“Throughout the following document, ‘private sector’ will refer
to laboratory facilities which are for-profit or
not-for-profit.
“In the national strategy, there are private medical
laboratories that are being supported to provide testing to the
public sector.
“This has been agreed with the State Governments in the states
where they operate.
“For these private medical laboratories, providing a public
sector function, NCDC and its partners will continue to support the
provision of reagents and consumables so that testing is conducted
at no cost to the patient.’’
In a related development, the Registrar and Chief Executive
Officer of MLSCN, Dr Tosan Erhabor said the document would guide
the private sector to accelerate the availability of COVID-19
diagnostic testing.
In a video posted on the official twitter account of the council
@MedLabNigeria, Erhabor sait it would guide engagement with private
labs for the duration of public health emergency in Nigeria.
“For these private medical laboratories, providing a public
sector function, NCDC and its partners will continue to support the
provision of reagents and consumables so that testing is conducted
at no cost to the patient,” he said.
Erhabor said prospective private medical laboratories for
COVID-19 testing should be granted approval by MLSCN in
collaboration with NCDC in accordance with these Guidelines.
“However, those not granted this special approval and proceed to
conduct COVID-19 testing will be considered to have contravened the
provisions of Section 4 (h) of MLSCN Act.
“Medical Laboratories Regulations for Inspection, Approval,
Monitoring and Accreditation, and will be sanctioned in line with
the provisions of the said regulation,’’ he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Medical Laboratory
Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) is a Federal Government
Statutory Regulatory Agency established by Act 11 of 2003.
(NAN)