COVID-19: Nigeria has qualified experts in molecular testing — scientists

The Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum (YMLSF) has faulted the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on his statement that Nigeria has only two medical laboratory scientists that are experts in molecular testing. National President of the association, Isomah Chiladi Jeff , and the National Secretary, Ediale Solomon in a statement, said the […]

The Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum (YMLSF) has faulted the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on his statement that Nigeria has only two medical laboratory scientists that are experts in molecular testing.

National President of the association, Isomah Chiladi Jeff , and the National Secretary, Ediale Solomon in a statement, said the country has many qualified experts in the field.

“There are more adequately trained medical laboratory scientists who are resource persons in molecular testing as evidenced in the compiled list of Nigerian experts sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC ) by the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria(AMLSN),”they said in the statement .

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) had recently said it compiled a list of 170 medical laboratory scientists specialized in molecular testing and sent it to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) but have not received any acknowledgement nor response till date.

The statement said the Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum (YMLSF) which comprises over 30,000 members across the country assured the Federal Government and Nigerians that they were ready to make their human resources available for testing to fight the pandemic.

While commending medical and health professionals at the front lines fighting COVID -19, the scientists called on the federal government to expand and equip more molecular laboratories for effective diagnosis and response to the disease.