The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Health District V, Dr. Oladapo Asiyanbi, has called on medical laboratory professionals to adopt a culture of knowledge-sharing as a strategic approach to improving competence, reducing workplace stress and enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery in the state.
EpeInsights reports that Dr. Asiyanbi made this appeal during a specialised training programme on Laboratory Equipment Management organised for Medical Laboratory Scientists and Medical Laboratory Technicians in Festac Town, Lagos.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration, he noted that professional knowledge should not be hoarded but shared among colleagues to foster collective expertise and efficiency. “I am challenging you to set up a four-member committee, write a report, and outline specific steps to upgrade your quality management system. Within a week, indicate the initial actions you will take and explore how you can improve your laboratory with the limited resources you have,” he said.
He explained that continuous learning, when combined with practical application, is key to raising professional standards and sustaining competence in medical laboratory practice.
In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Oluwakemi Faduola, Head of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Unit of the Lagos State Health District V, said the programme was designed to be distinct from conventional laboratory training. She stated that its focus was on Information Engagement, Inventory Management, Laboratory Upkeep, and Practical Strategies that participants could apply immediately in their facilities.
Faduola commended the participants for maintaining proper records in their laboratories and encouraged them to keep improving their systems for better operational outcomes.
Also speaking, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Ahmad Bello, urged participants to maintain confidence and self-respect in their work.
“What you think of yourself matters; it determines how much you can accomplish,” she stated.
Bello further advised them to keep accurate inventory records, share relevant information with colleagues to prevent operational setbacks and ensure that supervisors can observe tangible evidence of the training being implemented during facility inspections.
The programme featured a blend of hands-on demonstrations, interactive discussions, and case studies.
These covered areas such as preventive and corrective maintenance of laboratory equipment, inventory and asset management systems, safe handling and storage procedures, and cost-effective utilisation of laboratory tools.
As part of the exercise, essential materials and equipment were distributed to participants.
These included waste management items such as waste bins, colour-coded waste bags, and sharps boxes; reagents and consumables such as Turks solution, Hepatitis B test kits, Syphilis test kits, and EDTA bottles; as well as laboratory equipment like microscopes and hematocrit centrifuges.
The initiative underscored the Lagos State Government’s continued commitment to strengthening the capacity of health workers by equipping them with the skills, resources and knowledge necessary to improve diagnostic accuracy, minimise equipment downtime and enhance the overall quality of healthcare services across the state.
