The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has attributed the incessant industrial disputes in the health sector to the alleged insincerity of the Federal Government in addressing the grievances of health workers.

This was contained in a communique read to reporters on Saturday by the national president of AMLSN, Professor James Damen, after the association’s 57th Annual Scientific Conference and Workshop in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with the theme, ‘Medical Laboratory Preparedness For The Next Pandemic’.

Damen said the alleged hypocrisy of the government in addressing the concerns of medical workers was responsible for the lingering strike actions carried out by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), among others.

He argued that the ugly situation is giving the government a bad image and also causing brain drain as health professionals are forced to leave the country to seek for better working environment abroad.

Damen said, “Conference observed with deep concern the insincerity of government in addressing and resolving lingering disputes with JOHESU and sister unions. It portrays the government in a bad light and that is giving health professionals reasons, by the day, to migrate out of the country for greener pastures elsewhere thus draining the country of skilled workforce in the healthcare sector.”

He noted that the relegation of local research and development efforts and preference for the importation of all diagnostic inputs had remained a major challenge in the effective tackling of pandemics.

The AMLSN boss called for strategic investment in medical laboratories and an objective review of strategies used in responding to the current and previous pandemics in order to be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in the fight against pandemics.

He further said, “Infectious diseases will continue to emerge and re-emerge at national and sub-national levels, as such medical laboratories must continue to re-invent their policies and practices to effectively investigate outbreaks with a view to containing them early enough before they progress into pandemics and international calamities.

“We admonish that the next pandemic will be rolled back faster if the one-health concept is fully ingrained in our approach to global health. The muzzling of health professionals by a favoured professional group is counter-productive and weakens response to disease outbreaks.

“In preparing for the next pandemic, we (government) must effectively tackle outbreaks and epidemics in our domains. It is poor response to epidemics and outbreaks that snowballs into catastrophic pandemics and syndemics,” he stated.

The AMLSN expressed appreciation to Governor Douye Diri, former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, for their support to the association and the conference.

(Daily Independent)

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