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By Augustine Igbe
Health is the wealth of a nation. The health of the citizenry is directly or indirectly related to how productive a nation would be in term of manpower and issues relating to creating wealth. Also, the health can be directly related to the level of medical infrastructure development and how the infrastructure is harnessed to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and how it is used to raise the level of productivity.
Nigeria, as a vastly developing economy, needs to harness all resources at her disposal to improve the health of its citizenries for the sustenance of any meaningful economic and socio-development goals (Oladele Stephen Adeola. Medical Imaging System and the Health Care Delivery System in Nigeria: An Overview. 2021, pp. 45-56).
The professional war going on between the RRBN and the MEXITTAN has gotten beyond the point where the two bodies can positively resolve the unnecessary fight between them. The radiology arm of the healthcare sector in Nigeria has chosen power and authority over saving lives within the country.
The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) was established by CAP R1 LFN 2004 for the control and practice of the profession of Radiography. Radiography is a medical course approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for accredited universities.
On the other hand, the Medical X-ray and Imaging Technicians and Technologists Association of Nigeria (MEXITTAN) is the professional body responsible for regulating, supervising, and monitoring all Medical Imaging Technicians (X-ray Technicians) and Medical Imaging Technologists (X-ray Technologists) across Nigeria. Medical Imaging Technology (MIT) is a course approved by NBTE for accredited Colleges of Medical Sciences.
Meanwhile, unbelievably true, the RRBN out of fear for loss of jobs due to their lack of foresight, have chosen to unethically focus their attention on MITs, creating unnecessary hindrances for their professional development. The RRBN do not have the powers to downgrade an HND course accredited by NBTE.
According to CAP 237 Section 5b(i) & (ii), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is to advise the Federal Government on all aspects of technical education which fall outside the scope of the universities and other matters ancillary thereto.
Among others, NBTE is to furnish the Federal Government with; (i) the general programmes to be pursued by polytechnics and colleges of technology in order to maximise the use of available facilities and avoid unnecessary duplication while ensuring that they are adequate to the manpower needs of the country, (ii) recommendations for the establishment and location of new polytechnics and colleges of technology as and when considered necessary.
While the world is continually upgrading and improving on technology and manpower for Medical Imaging Technologies, RRBN is struggling to downgrade and reducing manpower in Nigeria. Professor Alberto Antonio Marangoni, President, Argentinian Federation of Radiology, rightly noted that “Non-developed countries… almost always remain in a certain technological backwardness in ability to apply this new knowledge”.
Adam Westrink, President, Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy also pointed out that the “Populations in rural and remote areas experience higher out-of-pocket expense, poorer health outcomes, poorer access to imaging and timely reports”.
Presently, the hospitals in major cities and town of Nigeria lack manpower in the radiology department due to RRBN unwarranted struggle and partly the “Japa syndrome”, let alone in our villages and rural areas. In all of these, the Ministries of Education and Health have chosen not to intervene, for a reason best known to their ‘Nigerian Spirit and Soul’.
A simple amendment of the RRBN Act to accommodate Technologists and Technicians will do the magic. Technologists and Technicians in any field cannot be deleted or downgraded below their professional training.