A Pathologist with the Department of Pathology in the University of Ilorin, Professor Mikhail Buhari has lamented the magnitude of the challenges posed by kidney diseases and the increasing sophistication in the services offered by Clinical Medicine.

Professor Buhari expressed this view while presenting the 218th Inaugural Lecture of the University entitled:“ The Doctors' Doctor: Doctor Weighing Clinical and Morphological Evidence to make life-changing decisions”.

He stressed the need for the government to create special centres for the management of cancers and kidney disorders, as he said these centres could be established on geopolitical regional basis.

The Inaugural Lecturer also stressed the need for institutions to generate their own Autopsy policies and for the various state governments to review the old Coroner law, saying it's overdue since the old Coroner law that was enacted in 1944 was amended in 1958.

He says, “Since then, only few States have proposed and passed amendments to these laws, principally Lagos state in 2007. It is desirable for other States to amend this law to reflect modern realities and scenarios,” he declared.

Autopsy Policy

According to him, hospitals should also have well spelt out autopsy policies in order to derive the maximum benefits from the procedure.

The Pathologist harped on large scale investment in the creation of awareness on the various cancer screening programmes, considering the cancer burden and its attendant effects on the individual, families and the nation at large.

He advised that the vaccines should be made affordable for the few vaccine-preventable cancers.

The Don therefore, urged the government to make available the right tools for General Pathological services.

He also called on the government to devise a means of retaining the best hands in the country beyond retirement age without necessarily putting the heavy burden on the institution.

“There is a difference in the way we treat our old hands and the way they are greatly appreciated and coveted for their uncommon skills in other climes,” he said.

Professor Buhari submitted that the autopsy rate was very low in Nigeria, due to the religious inclination of people.

According to him, hospitals should have well spelt out autopsy policies, to derive the maximum benefits from the procedure.

He described Autopsy pathology as the study of the cause and manner of death.

The expert who teaches in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, of the University, asserts that Autopsy pathology was beneficial to physicians in establishing the diagnosis and determining the cause of death, and also in providing data needed to ensure quality assurance in medical practice.

“Pathologists make a diagnosis of established cancers but are also at the forefront of examining samples submitted for screening purposes to detect precancerous lesions in a bid to prevent the debilitating disease,” he said.

Special Centres

Similarly, Buhari called on the government at all levels to create special centres for the management of cancers and kidney disorders across the country.

He suggested that such special management centres if required may be established on a geographical regional basis to treat cancers and kidney disorders.

According to him, there is a need for institutions to generate their own autopsy policies and for various state governments to review the old Coronal law.

The Don noted that large-scale investment in creating awareness on the various cancer screening programmes cannot be overemphasised considering the cancer burden and its attendant effects on the individual, families, and nation.

Affordable Vaccines

He also stressed the need to making affordable vaccines for the few vaccine-preventable cancers.

Buhari also urged the government to devise means of returning and keeping our best hands beyond the statutory retirement age without necessarily putting a heavy burden on the institutions.

He said the government should appreciate and covet the uncommon skills of the finest scientists in the country to protect the present and safeguard the future.