The management of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the management of Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, on multi-disciplinary research and clinical trial.
The signing of the agreement, witnessed by the management team of institutions, scientists and other stakeholders was held at the NIMR’s main auditorium, Yaba, on 9 January, 2019.
Speaking on the essence of the collaboration, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Salako, said the partnership was imperative in order to reposition the Institute to do more on its roles in providing evidence for policy, innovation through research and ability to provide cutting edge treatment for diseases causing morbidity and mortality in our environment.
His words: “This management found it compelling to improve its networks and collaborative efforts by approaching the management of the Federal Medical Centre Ebute – Metta to provide the Institute with opportunities and much needed facilities to conduct human participants’ health research, using the hospital as its clinical research facility.
“This understanding will provide our scientists an array of human participants that will assist them in their quest to find new therapies, evolve better approach to disease management, drug development clinical trials and development of new diagnostic tools”, he explained.
The NIMR boss further stated that the hospital’s clinical specialists and its special investigative facilities, especially in the clinical area will be made available for research purposes that are capable of expressly advancing the healthcare capability of the hospital.
However, the agreement is not one-sided as Prof. Salako has noted that the hospital will also enjoy a range of benefits. He said the hospital stands to benefit immensely from NIMR’s world class basic and clinical research scientists, who are capable of designing novel therapy that hospital patients may patient from.
On his own part, the Medical Director, FMC Ebute – Metta, Dr Ademola Dada, said the collaboration will afford patients access to cutting edge research, latest technology, latest method of healthcare delivery and they will also have the opportunity to contribute to knowledge.” So it’s a win win situation for patients, for the hospital, and for the research institute”.
When asked on the areas of concentration for their research, Dr Dada noted that they are not restricting their research to a particular area, stating that checking of outcomes is a form of research. “It is certainly a programme that will impact everything we do as an institution. Our patient care and outcomes, the services we render, and our processes”.
On the duration of the agreement, he said it is a lifetime relationship, and he was very optimistic that at the end of the day, none of the parties will ever regret signing the understanding.
 on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the management of Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, on multi-disciplinary research and clinical trial.){kind=link}