Quality Health Care Delivery Advocated, as Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors Holds Conference in Owerri

By Ikenna Orioha

Qualiteffectivey medical services has been advocated in order to improve the health of the people especially the less-privileged in the country.

This is advocated by Prof Ngozi Onyemelukwe, former Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, Enugu Campus, while delivering Keynote Lecture during the 21st Annual National Conference organized by the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors, held in Owerri, on Thursday.

Prof Onyemelukwe, who said Universal Health Coverage should be intensified in order to ensure that all individuals access regular quality health care services to improve their health, regretted that poor people hardly access effective medication, resulting to mortality and morbidity.

While advising government to fund medical laboratory scientists to equip their labs with relevant modern equipment to offer good services to the patients, Onyemelukwe told authorities to provide good environment, standard education and good job to individuals to promote good living.

“Quality Primary Health Care is a cornerstone to achieving Universal Health Coverage which involves every human because it provides quality health throughout life”.

The Prof cautioned against indiscriminate use of drugs especially Herbal Medicine which she stressed has highly concentration of biotics, causing damage to human organs, recommending that antibiotics be added to local concoction to reduce organisms.

Also, in her presentation, Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu from NDCN, represented by Dr Mba, emphasised on the effective role the private medical laboratory scientists have been playing to ensure proper medical diagnosis, but suggested funding to enable them perform optimally. ”

“Only when a lab scientist confirms there is case, the work of surveillance can’t say it all”, she added.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Prof Dennis Agbonlahor, advocated dependence on lab test results from the technology diagnosis, faulting government over failure to fund and equip health care sector of which medical laboratory sciences are not exception.

In her address, National President, GMLD, Mrs Choma Austin Onuorah, stated that much needs to be done by government “to address sector specific bottleneck such as regulatory impediments, licensing, multiple taxation, access to low interest financing.

It should also make private providers more bankable by enabling and increasing steady revenue to encourage innovation and growth in health sector”.

Just as the Chairman, GMLD, Imo State branch, Dr Nse- Abasi Peter Livinus, thanked members for attending the conference which he identified was memorable.

The 2days conference which was attended by lab experts across the nation, including Governor Emeka Ihedioha who was represented by Perm Secretary, Ministry of Health, G.E Nnah, was held at the Ridge Event Centre, Owerri.

Highlight of the event was the conferment of award of merit to distinguished medical lab scientists including Dr Uche Ngenebo of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka who appreciated GMLS for the recognition.

…News Corner.