NAN-HG-24
Laboratory
Lagos, Oct.12, 2016 (NAN) The Association of Clinical Chemists of Nigeria says about 50 to 80 per cent of laboratory equipment in the nation’s health institutions are not functioning due to diverse unfavourable conditions.
Prof. Elaine Azinge, the Head of Department, Clinical Pathology, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, made this known at a three-day Biennial Scientific International Conference of the association in Lagos.
Theme of the conference is: “Toward a Sustainable Clinical Chemistry Practice in Developing Nations.’’
Azinge, delivering a paper entitled: “Breaking the Barriers of Inadequate Funding in Clinical Chemistry Laboratories in Nigeria’’, said that absence of a national quality assurance scheme had also affected the practice.
“Our laboratories do not function optimally; about 50 to 80 per cent of our equipment cannot function well in this environment because of electricity and other accompanying factors.
“The kind of chemistry this equipment utilise are sensitive and they must also be maintained; we also have refurbished auto analysis that are purchased and taken to our hospitals.
“There is lack of basic infrastructure to work with, funding in the laboratory and the health sector is poor and the staff is poorly motivated; leading to brain drain syndrome.
“Also, there is no national quality assurance scheme in the country and this makes us not to key into international frameworks,’’ she said.
Azinge called for a change in every Nigerian and manager mindset.
“Again, most of our problems are self-inflicted; there is need to remove the loopholes and clogs in our system.
“We have decided to look inwards because we think that 90 per cent of the problems are coming from us.
“Government health facilities are underfunded and we have to look for ways for them to function optimally.
“We have to do away with corruption, we have to remove the dependency on oil as sole export; we must pay our taxes and laboratory managers must ensure prudence, accuracy and efficiency,’’ she said.
In his remarks, Dr Graham Beastall, a former President, International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), said that laboratory results played major role in diagnosis and treatment.
“ Laboratory medicine results inform a high percentage of all clinical decisions and laboratory medicine plays a key role in the identified mega-trends in healthcare.
“It is important that laboratory medicine aspires to the highest possible quality standards; those standards should be set, implemented and monitored by laboratory medicine specialists,’’ Beastall said.
He said that there was urgent need for an action plan to improve the practice in Nigeria, just like it was obtainable in other climes.
“Laboratory medicine services are ‘under review’ in many countries, in order to improve quality and increase clinical effectiveness, whilst providing gains in cost efficiency.
“Superimposed on this need for change is a profession that is traditional in structure with common divisions of opinion, in terms of staff grade, sub-specialisation and delivery modes.
“There is merit in a national debate to agree on action plan for the future of laboratory medicine in Nigeria, which can be promoted with service users and commissioners,’’ Beastall said.
He said that the universal drivers for change in laboratory medicine were classified into six areas including: globalisation, technology advancement, smarter working ways, integrated diagnostics, patient-centred care and adding value.
Also, Prof. Oluwole Adedeji, the Head, Chemical Pathology Department, LASUTH, said that the conference was aimed at improving the service delivery of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine practitioners.
“It is aimed at improving their operational standards; they need to have skills, and this is an opportunity for us to acquire such skills and knowledge.
“Clinical chemists are essentially a division of pathology; we investigate diseases through taking of body fluids, blood, urine, sputum and Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
“We look into the chemical activities in these fluids which reflect what is happening in your body.
“We report on them and we interpret these for the clinicians, for patients’ treatment and diagnosis,’’ Adedeji said. (NAN)
VIV/JPE/GOK
Editing by Joseph Edeh/Olagoke Olatoye)
================