FEATURED NEWS
MLSCN To Accredit Covid - 19 Lab At RCBBR, UniPort
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- Published: 18 June 2021
By Humphrey Ogu
The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) was in the University of Port Harcourt on Monday, May 31, 2021 for the accreditation of the Covid-19 Molecular-Testing Laboratory at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology and Bioresources Research (RCBBR). Receiving the MLSCN Accreditation Team at the Vice Chancellor's Committee Room, Coordinator, Academic Affairs, Professor Abdulrazaq Kilani, who stood in for the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Stephen Okodudu, expressed willingness to cooperate with members of the team to ensure that they have a hitch-free exercise. He informed them that the University has recently approved the running of Medical Laboratory Science programme.
On his part, Leader of the MLSCN Team, Bukar Simon, who conveyed the goodwill of the
“University of Port Harcourt is a very critical partner in the fight against Covid-19. The University will be ready to play its role as a responsible and responsive institution. In line with the World Health Organisation recommended Covid-19 preventive protocols, we have put in place the relavant facilities on campus,” he told the team. Registrar of the Council, said: “our aim for coming here is to assess the infrastructure and the personnel at the laboratory. We will look at what you have and the areas that would need improvement. We have a template and we will be very objective in our assessment.” Earlier in his speech, Director, RCBBR, Professor Anthony Ataga, said the Council was in the University to accredit the Covid-19 Molecular-Testing laboratory. He noted that the diagnostic laboratory had earlier got accreditation from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Rivers State Ministry of Health before the Federal Government made a law stipulating that only private laboratories are authorised to carry out Covid-19 test. He added that the MLSCN accreditation was part of the effort to reposition the laboratory for improved service delivery. In receiving the MLSCN team, the Acting Vice Chancellor was joined by Acting Registrar, Mrs Joyce Tamuno, Acting University Librarian, Mr Emmanuel Owushi and Provost, College of Health Sciences, Professor Iyeopu Siminialayi. Also on the MLSCN team were: Mr Chidi Otti and Professor Tatfeng Mirabeau. The Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at RCBBR, Aniekan Afia was also present during the courtesy call.
