Lab scientists query polio vaccine analysis by foreigners
From Okumephuna Chukwunwike, Abuja
FRESH complaints have sprouted over the use of the oral polio vaccine in the country as medical laboratory scientists condemned the Federal Government's use of foreigners in the scientific analysis of drug.
They argued that Nigeria has produced qualified and efficient medical laboratory scientists who work in state of the art medical laboratories across the nation and wondered why the Federal Government would neglect them in lieu of their foreign counterpart.
This position was made known on Tuesday by Dr. Bassey E. Bassey, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the forthcoming 40th Annual Scientific Conference and Workshop of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association of Nigeria scheduled for Abuja from August 23 to 27, 2004.
According to Bassey, "At the moment, 21st century modern medical laboratories exist in Nigeria and they are well equipped. I wonder why government would prefer foreign laboratory scientists in place of these standard ones we have in Nigeria. It is a sign that the government, which is in the forefront of Nigeria project does not even have a little faith in the country it is steering. This is very dangerous for the nation from every ramification it stands condemnable."
"We should bear it in mind that it is only through and wholehearted support of local medical laboratories that Nigeria can see hope for the eradication of numerous diseases afflicting its citizens, including polio, which at the moment is trying to defy all solutions".
He also expressed regret that the Federal Ministry of Health in all its reform agenda "has not deemed it wise to carry along the medical laboratory scientists in spite of their huge role in the medical sector."
"The Federal Ministry of Health inaugurated three committees to work out modalities for the restructuring of the Ministry but non of the committees has a medical laboratory scientist as a member. This is despite the fact that they have a big role to play in the health sector. The resultant effect of this is that the nation is still lagging behind the expected World Health Organisation (WHO) ratio of one medical laboratory scientist to 35,000 persons" he said.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to consider the inclusion of Medical Laboratory Scientists on the Governing Boards of the 54 Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other agencies in the health sector.
Bassey also hinged the failure of an effective blood transfusion system in the nation non-consideration of qualified personnel to man strategic sectors. He also called on the Federal Government to set quality assurance laboratory that will be a referral centre for others in the nation.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, said yesterday in Abuja that any unnecessary rivalry in the health sector would dwarf the achievements recorded so far in the ailing system.
He urged all stakeholders to work towards achieving a single collective objective and give less attention to their unhealthy inter-professional rivalry, in order to maximise effective healthcare delivery towards the improvement of the health status of Nigerians.
He spoke while receiving in audience the out-going executive members of the Association of Student Nurses and Midwives who paid him a courtesy call in his office.
The minister noted that health care delivery is a team game where each stakeholder has a vital role to play to move the sector and the nation forward.
