VCare Says 95% Diagnostic Testing in Nigeria Can Save Lives

VCare Says 95% Diagnostic Testing in Nigeria Can Save Lives

Ayodeji Ake

Medical laboratory experts have said the provision of quality diagnostic tests proximally in Nigeria will curb medical tourism and save lives.

Speaking to newsmen during a press conference in Lagos recently, the Managing Director, VCare Diagnostics, Sanjay Mathur said sending samplings abroad was one of the problems currently affecting healthcare diagnostic system in Nigeria.

“Some of the results which are needed for diagnosis of a patients gets delayed because the turnaround time of results, which comes from any of these countries take about seven, 10 and sometimes 30 days befor some of the tests report come out,” he said.

He said having diagnostic facilities in Nigeria, which performs about 95 per cent of the tests will fill the gap and enhance early treatment of diseases, as well as increase the country’s ability to become a reference laboratory point for Africa.

He said the diagnostic facility, in collaboration with India biggest laboratory, Techmed will ensure the equipment required for the diagnostic testing are available in Nigeria to test about 600 samples per hour.

“We are going to become like a research and reference lab for the entire healthcare industry, so that our customers are not the only direct customers we have, others will be laboratories, hospital, research institutions, nongovernmental organisations.”

Speaking, the Quality Assurance Manager, Abiola Adejumobi said lack of quality assurance has led to inaccurate diagnosis, which has questioned the reliability of laboratory results in Nigeria.

He added that one of the ways to address the problem was by having internal quality control materials of known standards, as well as external quality assurance programme and ensuring efficiency in both the technical and human capacity.

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