Medical laboratory scientists move to strengthen health system

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has introduced an e-learning platform with overall aim of to strengthening the health system.

The Association has also started interfacing with investors and funders from different parts of the world as part of efforts to engender a better health system.

The President of the Association, Toyosi Raheem, who spoke at a business planning meeting of the group in Abuja, noted: “What we are doing today is a sort of business planning for health. What that means is that our organisation has looked at so many opportunities that we can engage into which can impact positively on the healthcare delivery services in Nigeria, not only in medical laboratory sciences but also in other areas of endeavours that collectively will impact positively on health system, thereby increasing the quality of our health system in the country.”We did a market survey and based on the result, we have discovered that our association is sufficiently placed in offering e-learning consultancy services.

That e-learning consultancy services will involve getting various professionals and investors and getting them interested in acquiring capacity building through e-learning procedures.”

Raheem said: “The overall impact of the project on ordinary Nigerians is to strengthen the health system. One of the ways by which we can strengthen the health system is when you have increased knowledge, increase skills by the providers and these skills will be translated into quality health care delivery to Nigerians.
“This is the way ordinary Nigerians will benefit on the whole exercise. The overall objective is to strengthen the health system.”

He, however, regretted that globally, the rating of Nigeria’s health system is very weak, noting that “It is our own resolution to contribute our quota to strengthen the health system.
“We believe we could do that through the strengthening of the health system and we can do that through updating knowledge and skills of various healthcare providers.”

He spoke further on the objectives of the project. Raheem went on: “It is to train the healthcare professionals on how to write various courses in their areas so that by the time we give them that capacity, we can either ask them to use our platform or we will train them how to create their e-learning platforms so that their members will be able to access all these various courses that will improve their capacity in their various chosen areas in order to transform the health system in the country.”

“Because our association is sufficiently grounded through our various partners such as the John Hopkins University, MSH, and United Agency for International Development, we have had several interactions and training from such organisations.
“Because of that, our association is sufficiently placed in the e-learning consultancy service. What that implies is we are inviting various health professional groups like the nurses, physiotherapists, the image scientists, radiographers and so many other health professionals.”