Date: 2021-11-08

An NGO known as Media Advocacy and Technologies Centre (MATEC) has condemned the decision of the Kwara state government to privatize medical laboratories in state's hospitals.

The group, in a statement in Ilorin, on Sunday, vowed to do everything possible to frustrate any attempt to toy with the lives of the people of Kwara.

The statement, signed by Tosin Ramonu, MATEC Program Manager, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria.

"Our attention has been drawn to unfortunate moves by Kwara State Hospital Management Board to mortgage the lives and welfare of the people of Kwara state in the name of privatisation of laboratory services of major general hospitals.

"This is coming in the light of the fact that laboratory services in the hospitals have suffered serious neglect with gross under staffing, at just 16 medical laboratory scientists in a state of more than two million inhabitants.

"No doubt, laboratory service, as an integral part of medical service delivery cannot be run with reckless abandon and jeopardise the doctrine of Universal Health Coverage by selling to the highest bidder.

"This should be a social service and not a profit maximisation venture," the statement said.

According to MATEC, the present PPP arrangement of the Board, was meant to "deepen agony and anguish of the people".

This, the statement said, would lead to high cost of medical investigation, training of interns, staff redundancy and putting more lives at risk.

"MATEC will go to any length to ensure that no life is lost by these selfish moves by a few individuals in Kwara state.

"As public health experts, we are ready to ensure that equity and justice is done to ensure the health and safety of the people of Kwara state," the statement added.