MEMBERS of the Association Of Medical Laboratory Scientists Of Nigeria (AMLSN) have urged the Federal Government to revamp the nation’s moribund human vaccine production laboratories.

The association in a statement signed by its President, Toyosi Raheem, at the end of its national conference held in Port Harcourt, stated that Nigeria has the human resource to manage such laboratories when they come on stream.

In the statement, the association frowned at the reckless manner Public-Private Partnership Policy (PPP) was being introduced in government-owned hospitals, noting that “its introduction is vendetta-driven.”

The association however called on Nigerians to always go for regular medical check ups to nip diseases in the bud.

The statement reads in part: “Our members have decried the moribund nature of human vaccine production laboratories in Nigeria amidst a disturbing rise in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and hereby call upon the Nigerian government to quickly look into resuscitating these laboratories since Medical Laboratory Scientists are well trained in vaccine production technology as seen by their productive input in the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom. When this is done, it will go a long way in combating healthcare challenges in Nigeria.

“We also observed as worrisome the manner and scope of introducing Public-Private Partnership Policy (PPP) in health institutions in Nigeria, its introduction is vendetta-driven. Despite the fact that the World Health Organization emphasizes Universal Health Coverage which must be accessible, available and affordable, the manner of introducing PPP in some general and teaching hospitals in Nigeria is targeted at increasing the out-of-pocket expenditures of the common man in Nigeria and consequently, making health services unaffordable to the majority of the populace.

“It also enriches certain categories of health professionals who now take more interest in referring their patients to PPP laboratories at the expense and detriment of the patients. PPP in the health sector in Nigeria is clearly a policy somersault designed to confer monopoly on shylock business outfits, especially in teaching hospitals in Nigeria. Teaching hospitals are supposed to be centres of excellence for quality and affordable services, training and research. Any attempt to relegate these statutory functions will meet stiff resistance from the exploited masses.

“We are of the opinion that diseases may not always show overt signs. Hence, there is a need for routine health and laboratory checks covered by health insurance, in order to reduce the menace of sudden and silent killer diseases; infectious and debilitating diseases affecting both the rich and poor. In children, anaemia and malnutrition will be prevented and geriatric health challenges will be more appropriately managed in the aged. “Conference noted that out of pocket payments is often the reason for the absence of routine health and laboratory checks by majority of the populace. Hence, acute and chronic disease conditions fester and become worse. Keying in to Universal Health Coverage ensures prevention and early.”