The Federal Government says it is still committed to providing quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services to Nigerians.
The Minister of State for Health, Mr. Joseph Ekumankama, made this known on Friday, at the presentation of certificate of ISO 17025:2017, to the National Laboratory Equipment Calibration Centre.
Ekumankama, who commended the centre for receiving an accreditation from the Kenya Accreditation Services, said Nigeria was a signatory to several global initiatives and committed to the health and development of her citizens.
He said the reforms implemented by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria on the health sector were in line with the efforts of the federal government to better reposition the health centre.
”This action will enable the federal government to meet the yearnings of the citizens for quality, affordable and accessible healthcare.
“It is indeed remarkable as the council has recorded such a milestone within a short period of existence.
”I am happy with the number of activities for quality service delivery, and you are trying for excellence.
“The council is always attempting to break new frontiers albeit; they don’t allow the ministry any breathing space. The milestones of course can only be achieved by hard work, creativity and foresight,’’ Ekumankama said.
The Registrar of MLSCN, Dr. Tosan Erhabor, said that the council would continue to create enabling platforms to support the facilities in accessing these services.
He said that the structures would support effective medical laboratory regulation for quality laboratory care, also known as the MLSCN Quality Tripods, which have been put in place.
The facilities, he said, are first in West Africa and have also attained International accreditation.
“The quality tripods are the National External Quality Assessment Laboratory (NEQAL) in Saye, Zaria. It achieved ISO 17043 accreditation as a proficiency testing provider by inter-laboratory comparison and will be going for re-accreditation this year.
“The second is the Public Health In-vitro Diagnostics Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, for the regulation of production, importation, sales and stocking of diagnostic reagents.
“The laboratory equipment is also ISO 17025 accredited and had just completed a re-accreditation assessment. This facility conducts validation checks on all in-vitro diagnostics produced locally or imported into Nigeria.
“The last is the National Laboratory Equipment Calibration Centre in Abuja. The centre is equipped with funding from the U.S., Centre for Disease Control, Nigeria, and technical support from the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria,’’ he said.
According to the registrar, the facility is set to calibrate ancillary equipment and ensure the delivery of the correct volumes of samples or analyses.
He explained that the equipment is optimum and has attained international accreditation as a calibration laboratory upon satisfying the requirements of KENAS.
“This is actually the reason why we are gathered today to present the certificate of Accreditation to the minister and also to commission the NaLECC to full operations as an internationally accredited Centre,” Dr. Erhabor said.
Country Director, U.S. CDC, Dr. Mary Boyd, said that the U.S., Sub-Saharan Africa strategy was released with the intention to pursue four objectives, one of which is on health.
She said, “The strategy has outlined the plan to build core capacities to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases globally, including addressing challenges related to diagnostics and service delivery that would enhance health security.
“This accreditation is the first of its kind in Nigeria and a major step towards our mission of public health excellence for healthy Nigerians.
“It is to positively impact on the region as it allows international accredited laboratories across West Africa to have their equipment calibrated right here in the region,’’ she said.
(NAN)
