Are we practicing what we were taught?

I’d like to talk about a major concern among health workers and how they practice, especially here in Nigeria. As medical laboratory science students, we are taught the importance of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the laboratory, and how every sample should be regarded as infectious.

However, during laboratory postings, we see hospital staff handle samples as though they pose no risk; without gloves, a laboratory coat, or even a face mask when necessary. In situations where there is a higher risk of splashes or aerosols, you would expect the use of goggles or face shields, but these are often ignored as well.

They pay little attention to spills and sometimes go about the rest of their day without washing or sanitizing their hands. When students even refuse to handle a sample without gloves or take time to find proper protection, some staff step in to collect the sample as though they are immune to whatever it might carry.

I understand this could be due to the unavailability of PPE or even indifference from hospital management, but above all, safety should be prioritized. With many labs barely meeting Biosafety Level 2 standards, and with this kind of attitude toward PPE, how are we expected to handle an infectious disease outbreak?

I’d like to remind healthcare professionals and students that the use of PPE is about protecting yourself first, and then protecting those around you by preventing the spread of infectious diseases. So we should start by:

• Ensuring the use of gloves while in the laboratory
• Wearing a protective coat or proper laboratory attire
• Using face masks, goggles, or face shields when necessary
• Handling samples with care and treating every sample as infectious
• Cleaning up sample spills with hypochlorite
• Washing hands with chlorhexidine soaps or sanitizing with 70% alcohol solution.

These are not extra precautions — they are the basics.

REMEMBER: YOU FIRST.