NMA sets agenda for health ministers as lab scientists decry poor facilities

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has tasked the newly appointed health ministers to improve funding in the health sector to guarantee better primary healthcare delivery.

NMA’s President, Dr. Francis Faduyile, stated this while briefing journalist yesterday in Abuja on preparations for the second National Health Summit.

President Muhammadu Buhari had recently appointed Osagie Ehanire and Olorunnimbe Mamora to run the Ministry of Health as minister and minister of the state respectively.

“The major problem in this country is for us to have a sustainable Primary Health Care, but we are aware that achieving that is beyond Federal Government’s scope.

“We expect the new ministers to work with the state government to improve Primary Health Care. When this is done, the pressure on secondary and tertiary health centres would reduce.

“We expect the new ministers to work closely with their colleagues in other ministries. Health has a relationship with almost all sectors. They must be able to interface with their colleagues to improve the sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has decried the poor state of laboratory facilities in the country.

It urged the Federal and state governments to invest in strengthening the capacity of medical laboratories in the public health and clinical settings to aid in the rapid detection and reporting of disease outbreaks.

It’s National Publicity Secretary, Cajetan Ifeanyichukwu, made the call yesterday while briefing newsmen on the Association’s International Conference on Global Health Security Agenda slated for between September 2 and 5, 2019 in Abuja.

He noted that Nigeria’s health indices ranking was adjudged one of the worst globally due to its dysfunctional medical laboratory infrastructure coupled with its reprobate system and governance.

He said Nigerians now live with the dilemma of incessant outbreaks of cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, monkeypox and other hemorrhagic fever including influenza viral disease.

Ifeanyichukwu lamented that in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, there are no medical laboratories with capacity for detection and diagnosis of agents of infectious diseases, except the NCDC reference Laboratory in Gudu, Abuja.

He charged state governors to wake up to their responsibilities of strengthening the laboratory systems in all states of the federation.