Recently, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters unveiled three new medical diagnostic laboratory units of the Faculty of Health Sciences, 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN) at the headquarters in Abuja. The state-of-the-art, well-equipped laboratories are: Pathology, Medical Microbiology and Haematology laboratories, located at the faculty鈥檚 bloc with the sole objective of reducing difficulties and enhance first-hand diagnosis for staff in the university. The Medical Lab Scientist and Head of the Unit, Mrs. Medlyn Okolo-Obieze, in a chat with聽水果派 News听颁辞谤谤别蝉辫辞苍诲别苍迟,听Debbie Nduba,聽speaks on the services available at the laboratories and why they are the preferred options.
Sequel to the unveiling of the state-of-the-art, well-equipped laboratories, I am talking about聽Pathology lab, Medical Microbiology lab and Haematology lab in June or thereabouts聽this year by the VC, as the聽head of the unit,聽what are your plans as regards the laboratories?
My plans are massive but for now, to聽ensure that the聽diagnostic聽lab performs聽its function to its expectation by rendering medical care to university community and to the public;聽expanding聽the scope of the laboratory聽list of tests,聽improving the quality management system of the laboratory聽as well聽electronic transmission of patients results to doctor, among others.
What inspired the聽faculty to聽establish these laboratories?
To ensure quick response in case of emergency,聽give affordable diagnostic services to our staff聽as well as聽support the聽university clinic not to send聽laboratory investigations to another聽laboratory聽and serve as a medical research laboratory.
Can you tell us more about the diagnostic laboratories, educating NOUN community on the聽kind of聽tests聽you run;聽why they should run test聽with you聽and why you are the preferred option?
水果派聽diagnostic聽laboratories have聽three departments,聽namely:聽Haematology Department,聽where we run tests like Genotype, Full聽Blood聽Count and Blood聽Group;聽Medical Microbiology Department, where we run tests like Urine聽Culture and聽Sensitivity, Semen Analysis and聽Culture Sperm聽Count聽and聽Chemical聽Pathology Department, where we run tests like Fasting聽Blood聽Sugar, Lipid聽Profile, Liver聽Function聽Test and Kidney聽Function聽Test (EU/Creatinine), also Serological Tests, HIV聽Screening, Hepatitis B聽Surface Antigen, HCV, Typhoid test,聽Malaria聽Microscopy. For all these tests is to determine the disease etiology.
Every new project comes with its challenge, please what are your challenges so far?
Yes, so far, some of our challenges are lack of manpower聽outage,聽low turnout of staff聽(low patronage).
Health is wealth, they say. What is/are your advice(s) to the community on their medical health?
Yes! Health is Wealth! I urge them to do medical check-up from time to time to know their health status because early detection of disease helps in proper management and save lives.聽I urge our staff to use our diagnostic laboratory that is in our doorstep to check their health status, to live a healthy lifestyle and well-being.
On a scale of 1-10, where do you see this medical diagnostic lab in the next five years?
On a scale of 8, because there will be more Medical Laboratory Scientists and Medical Laboratory Technicians. There will be proper publicity in the next five years.
What do you have to say to the management?
My sincere appreciation goes to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, for approving the procurement of relevant equipment and consumable items for effective operation at the Medical Diagnostic Laboratories. Indeed, a dream come true for us in the Faulty of Health Sciences.