Health
Nigeria spends N8bn to import vaccines from USA, Europe annually – WAPCMLS
The West Africa Post Graduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS) has stated that the Nigerian government spends N8 billion annually to import vaccines from the USA and Europe.
The General Secretary/Registrar of the College, Dr Godswill Okara, disclosed this at the 4th induction/oath-taking ceremony of the 2023/2024 qualified graduates of Medical Laboratory Science at Edo State University, Uzairue, in Etsako West Local Government Area.
Okara said the amount was spent to import vaccines from Belgium, India, the USA, France, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, Denmark, South Korea, Germany, and the UAE annually.
He, however, called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of priority, support laboratory systems by developing a national laboratory policy within the national health development plan that would guide the implementation of a national strategic laboratory plan.
“To strengthen healthcare services in Nigeria, the Federal Government must unveil the National Medical Laboratory Service Policy to address the challenges confronting health services across the federation.
“The policy must serve as a strategic framework to strengthen the laboratory systems across the country,” he said.
Okara, who was the guest speaker at the event, stated that medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria must rise to the challenge of producing human vaccines and biologicals in the country.
The General Secretary/Registrar, WAPCMLS, who spoke on the topic, “Expanding Horizons: The Evolving Role of Medical Laboratory Scientists in Global Health and Innovation Post-COVID-19,” opined that medical laboratory scientists are indispensable in the fight against diseases and in protecting human health and life.
“The medical laboratory scientist is at the heart of accurate diagnosis of diseases, monitoring of treatment and management of patients, prevention, surveillance, and control of diseases locally and globally.
“Education and training hold the key to resolving the myriad of health problems facing Africa and the world,” he said.
“Medical laboratory scientists constitute a key profession in the medical fraternity and also form the backbone of medical research.
“Laboratory scientists provide prompt and accurate diagnoses in most conditions, thus allowing scientific and effective treatment to be instituted,” he added.
He noted that medical laboratory scientists around the world have been delivering on testing, accelerating research, and innovating at an unparalleled scale, which has led to the development of new diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics after COVID-19.
He posited that biomedical laboratory scientists have worked around the clock dealing with the immense numbers of samples that have needed testing.
“If there is something we have learned, it is that laboratory systems and medical laboratory scientists are of vital importance to national and global preparedness, and this should become a priority investment moving forward,” he said.
In his remarks, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Dawood Egbefo, advised the inductees to be professional in performing diagnostic tests on patient samples, analyzing results, and ensuring accuracy through quality control measures.
Earlier, Prof Tosan Erhabor, Registrar/CEO of the MLSCN, who administered the oath to the inductees, urged them to always adhere to the rules of the profession.
Erhabor, who was represented by Dr Chris Mbata, noted that the rules are ethical guidelines binding on every laboratory scientist in Nigeria.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, yesterday participated in the inauguration, first capping, and matriculation ceremony of the Mother of Mercy College of Nursing Sciences, Mbutu-Okohia, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, where he personally capped the institution’s pioneer nursing students.
In her address, Provost of the college, Rev. Sr. Tochukwu Martha Ike, described the event as the realisation of a long-held vision by the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (DMMM) to widen access to quality nursing education.
According to her, the college was established in response to the country’s urgent demand for well-trained and compassionate nurses, especially in underserved areas.
Sr. Ike noted that the institution had already recorded notable milestones, including full accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and commencement of a Basic Nursing Programme supported by a qualified academic and administrative workforce.
She reaffirmed the college’s dedication to evidence-based and community-centred nursing practice.
Acknowledging the challenges confronting the young institution — particularly in infrastructure development, facilities upgrade, and funding, she expressed optimism that continued support from government and donors would help position the college as a leading centre for healthcare training.
Addressing the students, Obi congratulated the pioneer set and urged them to uphold the values of discipline, compassion, and integrity that define the nursing profession.
He described nurses as the “heartbeat of functional healthcare systems,” and encouraged the students to pursue excellence and lifelong learning in service to humanity.
He also commended the DMMM Congregation for its significant contributions to education and healthcare, noting that faith-based institutions continue to play a crucial role in reinforcing Nigeria’s social foundations.
The ceremony concluded with expressions of appreciation to community leaders, government officials, benefactors, and stakeholders for their support towards establishing the college, which is expected to contribute significantly to healthcare development in Imo State and beyond.
Serenity Royale Hospital has refuted claims that it conducted any drug-related tests on actress Regina Daniels.
The hospital said this in a public statement released on Thursday evening, following the trending medical report allegedly from the hospital confirming Regina Daniels’ drug addiction.
Recall that Regina Daniels’ estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko had accused her of drug addiction and insisted that the actress must submit herself for rehabilitation.
The accusation came after Regina called out the Senator for domestic abuse amid their ongoing messy breakup.
However, laboratory tests purportedly conducted by the hospital surfaced on the social media on Wednesday, showing toxic levels of marijuana, cocaine, morphine, opiates, and alcohol in her system.
Denying conducting any test on the actress, the hospital stated that the alleged medical report was fabricated.
Speaking in a statement signed by its management, the hospital said “Our attention has been drawn to a post (on an alleged MID TERM HOME DETOX REPORT) being circulated online in the name of Serenity Royale Hospital with respect to Mrs Nwoko Regina.
“We wish to state clearly that the publication and circulation of the said post containing classified information did not emanate from us and respectfully request the public to disregard same.”
Suspended Paystack co-founder, Ezra Olubi has in a tweet revealed he was diagnosed as having both HIV+ and Hepatitis B.
He stated this in a post he shared on his X page some years ago which has now resurfaced online.
Recall that Olubi was recently suspended by Paystack over allegations of s3xual misconduct after his tweets of years ago resurfaced online.
It was gathered that between 2009 and 2013, Ezra Olubi allegedly posted a series of s3xually explicit tweets making comments involving minors and referencing s3xualized anime characters.
One of the tweets read: “Last time I felt this way and went to the hospital for a general checkup, I was diagnosed as both HIV+ and with Hepatitis B.”
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