Nigerian medical laboratory scientists based abroad have called for appropriate and sustainable investments in the practice of medical laboratory science and the broader healthcare sector to reverse the brain drain phenomenon and reduce medical tourism abroad.
With this objective in mind, the Nigerian Medical Laboratory Scientists in the Diaspora (NMLSD) are preparing to organise an international conference focused on providing solutions to the numerous challenges facing the nation’s healthcare sector.
Addressing the press, the President of the organisation, Mojeed Shittu, highlighted key issues, including professional development for medical laboratory scientists, insufficient infrastructure and equipment, and the significant emigration of medical and health professionals seeking better prospects abroad, as major hurdles in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
However, he emphasised the urgency of taking proactive steps to address these challenges. “Rather than lamenting this brain drain, Nigeria’s government can strategically leverage the expertise of medical laboratory scientists both home and abroad to bolster domestic healthcare services and ultimately reverse brain drain to brain gain.
“To improve healthcare in Nigeria, the Nigerian government should invest in infrastructure, equipment, and continuous professional development for medical laboratory scientists. While enticing medical laboratory scientists abroad to return to Nigeria may pose challenges, the government can still benefit from their expertise by leveraging technology and fostering collaboration.
“Collaboration with experts abroad enables access to specialised knowledge, advanced techniques, and best practices in laboratory medicine.
“This can lead to earlier detection of diseases, personalised treatment plans, and better monitoring of patient responses to therapy, therefore improving healthcare outcomes and reducing the reliance on medical tourism.
“The conference will provide a platform to extensively discuss strategies to foster collaboration between medical laboratory scientists at home and abroad.”
On his part, Dr Ukpai Eze, the co-chair of the conference organising committee, highlighted the significant advancements in the practice of medical laboratory science in Nigeria, such as the enactment of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria Act in 2003 by the National Assembly of Nigeria.
However, he also pointed out that the delivery of high-quality laboratory diagnosis in Nigeria has been hindered by inadequate investments in laboratory infrastructure and the training of medical laboratory scientists.
This lack of effective and robust diagnostic capacity serves as a catalyst for medical tourism and prompts Nigerians to seek healthcare abroad annually, he emphasised.
The conference, themed “Harnessing Diaspora Experience for Enhanced Medical Laboratory Science Practice in Nigeria,” as stated by Abiola Oketikun, the chairperson of the conference organising committee and Vice President of the organisation, is scheduled for March 23, 2024, in the afternoon through Zoom.
The keynote speakers of the conference, according to her, will be a globally renown medical laboratory scientist who is currently the registrar at the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Dr. Godswill Okara, and Dr. Zeribe Nwosu, an assistant professor at Cornell University, USA.
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