Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete yesterday inducted 158 newly qualified medical laboratory scientists.

This brings the total of medical laboratory scientists produced by the university to 364.

The vice chancellor of the university, Pro Muhammed Akanbi (SAN) disclosed this at the third oath taking and induction ceremony for newly graduated medical laboratory scientists of the university.

Akanbi said the induction was an important event marking additions to the number in the nation's health sector.

He said the newly inducted scientists would contribute to ameliorating personnel shortage in the profession, noting that the institution was committed to producing the total graduate who would add value to every segment of the nation.

The vice chancellor who was represented by the deputy vice chancellor (Administration), Prof Omololu Fapojuwo urged the inductees to be good ambassadors of the institution through hard work, honesty and service to humanity.

The registrar of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria MLSCN, Dr. Tosan Erhabor, congratulated the university for ensuing the full accreditation of the programme, stressing the need for the training of more personnel in the health sector to meet the needs of the nation.

Erhabor who was represented by the director of education and deputy registrar in the council, Dr Godwin Aikpitianyi, said the strides KWASU had made to boost the profile of the medical laboratory science programme.

He urged the university to do more in order to ensure that staff and students work with the best tools with which to push the frontiers of training and research.

In his remarks, the dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Prof Emmanuel Ajani, noted among the achievements of the university to include procurement of laboratory equipment, new laboratory complex, departmental building and an endowment of the faculty's lecture.

The highpoints of the event were the administration of the Hippocratic Oath and induction of the medical scientists into the profession and council.