The registrar and chief executive of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Tosan Erhabor has extolled the country’s media, which he described as vibrant, competent, and one of the pillars of nation-building.
The registrar, in a statement, singled out health journalists across the spectrum, represented by the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists ANHeJ describing them as dependable partners in progress.
While addressing stakeholders at the MLSCN headquarters Abuja, Dr. Erhabor recalled how the health sector media rallied round the agency in its efforts to help stem the spiraling tide of the Covid-19 pandemic through the validation of in-vitro diagnostics (IVD).
According to him, “Those were challenging times and MLSCN was duty-bound to contribute meaningfully toward the fight against the pandemic. Fortunately, health journalists were with us every step of the way and helped us to provide effective regulation to prevent our shores from becoming a dumping ground for all manners of diagnostic kits.”
Erhabor also expressed willingness to sustain the existing cordial relationship with the media, adding that plans were underway to expand the scope of MLSCN’s partnership with the media.
“We have confidence that partnering with the media is a win-win venture, especially members of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, ANHeJ” he said, noting that “This has become necessary considering President Bola Tinubu’s directive to government agencies to be more innovative to hasten the transformation of the health sector,” he said.
In his contribution, the chairman of the ANHeJ, Joseph Kadiri, noted that MLSCN had a long history of collaborating with the media for the benefit of the health sector. While acknowledging ongoing partnerships between the agency and some segments of the media, he welcomed its plans to do more together, adding that the health sector and the citizens would be the better for it.
