Federal Govt. Set To Establish Medical Laboratories In Tertiary Institutions

President Muhammadu Buhari says the Federal Government has provided funds for the establishment of laboratories in all Federal tertiary institutions and its research centers.

Buhari said this while speaking at the 2nd Regional Annual Scientific Conference and Induction of Elected Fellows of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), on Monday, in Abuja.

President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said with the support of development partners Federal Government has strengthened laboratory capacity in the country than ever before in history.

The President said World Health Organization(WHO) also helped in training Nigerian scientists, improving their capacity to conduct test and get to where the country were today.

He said: “Our monocular laboratory assets has since then increased in both private and public fare. while knowledge and skills, to conduct testing has spread to hundreds of laboratory scientists around the country.

In his opening remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire who was represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, said the theme of the conference, ‘Improving Global Health by Strengthening Laboratory Capacity in Africa’’ was well chosen.

“At the onset of the pandemic, very few laboratories had capacity to conduct molecular testing, a methodology that has overtaken traditional methods used to identify organisms.

“As at today, the government has made available funds for the establishment of molecular laboratories in all the Federal tertiary health institutions and research centres. State Governments and Partners have also supported laboratory strengthening in different ways.

The government will continue to provide the enabling environment for professionals to work, and the professionals are expected to continue to improve their knowledge and skill.

“This is where the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science needs to play the critical role of ensuring relevant human resource capacity is developed in the West African sub region to compliment efforts of government at strengthening laboratory capacity.”

A Professor of Virology and Educational Administrator, Oyewale Tomori, who Chaired the event, said there was no need to build laboratories if the country would not sustain them.

Tomori said, “it is better for us to have six functional laboratories than having many that are not functional.”