Stakeholders are advocating the need for partnership between the Government and the private sector to address lack of adequate laboratories in Nigerian hospitals which has resulted to wrong diagnosis and deaths of citizens.
Read Also: Nigeria to begin Science Expo on Monday – Minister
The advocacy is being carried out through a and initiative tagged ” Project, Nigeria Laboratories: Strengthening Partnership”.
It aims to strengthen the partnership between the public and private laboratories to promote the health system of Nigeria to international standard.
The chief executive officer of medical laboratory science council of Nigeria, Dr Tonson Ehabor said the Nigerian government is committed to strengthening the partnership by ensuring that quality health service is provided to Nigerians
He also added that before now, most of the Nigerian laboratories were only equipped to start running, but in the last three years, accreditation must take place before any laboratory begins operation.
On His part the chief Executive Officer of Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezia Anyokora, said that Nigeria Laboratories system needs strengthening through partnership with stakeholders so that diagnosis of various diseases can be carried out successfully.
He pledged more support from his organisation to make sure Nigerians have access to good health.
” We are looking forward to make sure that the lives of Nigerians get better. Every patient has a right to a quality health care system.” Prof Anyakora said.
He called on public health practioners to come together and achieve the desired results.
” This is a patriotic move to make sure that we take the country’s health systems to higher level” He added.
Similarly, the Director General of Nigeria National Accreditation System(NINAS), Mr Celestine Okonya, said that his organisation, as the national accreditation body is well prepared to grant ten thousand laboratories accreditation for Nigerians to have smooth access to laboratories.
“For my agency we are fully prepared for the task, first by conducting awareness to the public to know this becomes an emergency and the Federal Government of Nigeria is taking it compulsory by making it a rule, that every laboratory must be accredited before 2025 or it be closed “ Mr, Okonya said.
The stakeholders at the forum agreed that working together, the Nigerian health sector will be the better for it.
