A private medical laboratory in Lagos, El-Lab, which benefitted from the Federal Government Genexpert Machine, on Tuesday called for collaboration with other private health partners to wholly end tuberculosis.
Prince Elochukwu Adibo, the Laboratory Director of El-Lab, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there were 300,000 tuberculosis missed people yet to be found and treated.
Adibo, speaking on the sidelines of a Public Private Mix (PPM) summit for Tuberculosis control in Nigeria, said that this call for concerted efforts by all.
The summit was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Lagos State Ministry of Health.
NAN reports that a Genexpert machine was presented to El-Lab Ltd. by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, at the summit.
GeneXpert machine can detect tuberculosis in a sample of sputum.
Adibo said: “We are really happy to have this machine; it is a call for collaboration, rather than having any form of bitterness, rancor or misunderstanding; there is so much work to do.
“We have over 300,000 tuberculosis cases out there we should look for; people like you and I, our neighbours, colleagues, among others.
“These are cases that we should look out for and put our efforts together in diagnosis and treatment to make things different and eliminate this terrible disease that is really a scourge in Nigeria health sector.
“So, we are happy to be part of it and we are strongly representing ourselves as a key operator in the private sector to make a difference,’’ Adibo said.
Dr Tunji Akintade, the Chairman, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), pledged commitment to collaborate with the government and other partners.
“My association is willing to partner with the government and the partners, even if it is to own the wellness on wheel machine and go into the country so that we can reduce tuberculosis burden in Lagos.
“Lagos is at a disadvantage because it is seen as an urban centre; minute by minute we see people trouping in to the state.
“We have created an opportunity to present a model.
“If honoured by the Minister and our Commissioner for Health, it is something that will reduce the burden in terms of detecting and reporting, as well as treating a tuberculosis case outright,’’ Akintade said.
Also, the Secretary of the Association of Community Pharmacist in Nigeria (ACPN), Mr Okotie Jonah, said that fighting tuberculosis was the responsibility of all.
“Tuberculosis fight is something we should all be involved in because there is responsibility for everybody.
“We are going to do a lot of referrals when persons with tuberculosis conditions come to us, we have partners we refer them to.
“Beyond the referrals, there are also drug centres whereby the persons will be referred to for diagnosis.
“So, it is a teamwork that should be brought together and change the narrative of health system globally,’’ Jonah said.