Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (NSIA-LUTH) Cancer Centre, in collaboration with key stakeholders in global oncology, has launched a five-day hematopathology boot camp.

Spearheaded by the NSIA’s healthcare development and investment arm, MedServe, the programme is focused on strengthening diagnostic and clinical capacities among Nigerian haematologists and pathologists.

Centre Director of the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, Dr Lilian Ekpo, explained that the boot camp is the product of collaborations with key players in the oncology sector, including BioVentures for Global Health (BVGH), Roche, and Cerba Lancet. According to her, the goal is to upskill medical professionals across the oncology care continuum; doctors, radiotherapists, medical physicists, oncology nurses, haematologists, and pathologists to ensure accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.

Highlighting the broader challenges in cancer care, Ekpo noted that while the burden of cancer was increasing globally, it is particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. However, she expressed optimism, stating: “There is hope. Access to treatment is improving, and so is the quality of training.”

She revealed that the number of patients at the centre had increased significantly.

“Around this time last year, we saw about 45 to 50 new patients weekly. Last week alone, we saw between 60 and 70 new cases,” she said, reflecting a 20 per cent to 56 per cent increase”.

Despite nationwide challenges in healthcare staffing, she revealed that the cancer centre has managed to retain its core oncology team, including a 13-person strong nursing unit. However, Ekpo acknowledged that fewer doctors were entering residency training programmes, which aligned with broader trends of medical brain drain.