Interview: We Offer Affordable Diagnostic Services, Check Your Health Status, Medical Laboratory Scientist Tells Staff

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Interview: We Offer Affordable Diagnostic Services, Check Your Health Status, Medical Laboratory Scientist Tells Staff

September 18, 2023

Recently, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, unveiled three new medical diagnostic laboratory units of the Faculty of Health Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), at the headquarters in Abuja. The state-of-the-art, well-equipped laboratories are the pathology, Medical Microbiology, and Haematology laboratories, located at the faculty’s bloc, with the sole objective of reducing difficulties and enhancing first-hand diagnosis for staff in the university. In a chat with NOUN News Correspondent Debbie Nduba, the Medical Lab Scientist and Head of the Unit, Mrs. Medlyn Okolo-Obieze, 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 Pathology lab, Medical Microbiology lab, and Haematology lab in June or thereabouts this year by the VC. As the head of the unit, what are your plans as regards the laboratories?
My plans are massive, but for now, I want to ensure that the diagnostic lab performs its function according to expectations by rendering medical care to the university community and the public, expanding the scope of the laboratory list of tests, improving the quality management system of the laboratory, and ensuring electronic transmission of patient results to the doctor, among others.

What inspired the faculty to establish these laboratories?
To ensure quick response in case of emergency, we give affordable diagnostic services to our staff as well as support the university clinic in not sending laboratory investigations to another laboratory and serving as a medical research laboratory.

Can you tell us more about the diagnostic laboratories, educating the NOUN community on the kind of tests you run, why they should run tests with you, and why you are the preferred option?
NOUN diagnostic laboratories have three departments, namely: the Haematology Department, where we run tests like Genotype, Full Blood Count, and Blood Group; the Medical Microbiology Department, where we run tests like Urine Culture and Sensitivity, Semen Analysis, and Culture Sperm Count; and the Chemical Pathology Department, where we run tests like Fasting Blood Sugar, Lipid Profile, Liver Function Test, and Kidney Function Test (EU/Creatinine), as well as serological tests, HIV Screening, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, HCV, Typhoid Test, and Malaria Microscopy. All these tests are intended to determine the disease's etiology.

Every new project comes with its challenges; please, what are your challenges so far?
Yes, so far, some of our challenges are lack of manpower, low turnout of staff, and 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 a medical checkup from time to time to know their health status because early detection of disease helps in proper management and saves lives. I urge our staff to use our diagnostic laboratory that is right on our doorstep to check their health status and 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.