VC warns laboratory scientists against costly errors

The Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Prof Oyedunni Sola Arulogun and others while presenting certificate of induction into the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria to one of the newly graduated Medical Laboratory Scientists from the institution

The Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun, has urged newly inducted medical laboratory scientists to prioritise accuracy, integrity and compassion in the discharge of their professional duties, warning that errors in laboratory testing could have serious consequences for patients.

Arulogun gave the charge during the university’s second induction and oath-taking ceremony for 16 Medical Laboratory Science graduates held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

She said medical laboratory scientists played a critical role in healthcare delivery by providing the scientific evidence required by physicians to diagnose diseases and determine appropriate treatments.

Arulogun warned the inductees against carelessness, noting that every specimen represented a human being whose health could depend on the accuracy of the laboratory result.

The VC explained that “When a patient walks into the hospital with serious illness, the first person the patient asks to see is the doctor. But the doctor cannot treat without the medical laboratory specialist

“This is why I often say that the medical laboratory scientist is one of the places where uncertainty is transformed into evidence, and evidence becomes the foundation of life-saving decisions.”

She added, “Behind every blood sample is someone’s father, mother, daughter, son, or loved one. Behind every laboratory request is a person waiting for answers, often in a state of anxiety.

“A wrongly labelled specimen, an inaccurate result, a compromised quality control procedure, or a careless interpretation can have serious consequences, and therefore accuracy must never be sacrificed for speed, while integrity and professional standards must not be compromised for convenience.”

The vice-chancellor also urged the graduates to embrace emerging technologies, including molecular diagnostics, genomic medicine, artificial intelligence and digital laboratory systems, saying that advances in science were rapidly changing the diagnosis and management of diseases.

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Arulogun also expressed concern about Nigeria’s public health challenges, including infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance, stressing that laboratory professionals were central to addressing them.

Underlining the university’s expectations of its graduates, she said, “At Chrisland University, our commitment has always been to education that develops both competence and character.”

She urged the inductees to allow competence to define their practice, integrity to guide their decisions and compassion to give meaning to their service.

Speaking during the induction, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Dr Donald Ofili, represented by an Assistant Director with the council, Mr Jude Oparanoze, congratulated the graduates and commended the university for its contributions to medical laboratory science education.

Ofili said that the council valued its partnership with the university and urged both institutions to sustain their collaboration in producing competent professionals capable of protecting public health.

He congratulated the 16 graduates presented for induction, particularly the four who earned first-class honours, describing their performance as evidence of the rewards of hard work and determination.

However, he called on the university management to strengthen infrastructure in the Medical Laboratory Science department by providing additional training facilities and employing adequate personnel.

He described medical laboratory science as a hands-on profession and commended the university for commencing a postgraduate programme in the department.