Abiola Fashina, a medical laboratory scientist who works at the
University of Lagos Medical Centre has emerged the winner of the maiden
edition of the ISN Medical Laboratory Scientist of the Year Award
instituted to recognize and reward the unsung heroes (Medical Laboratory
Scientists) of medical practice in Nigeria. Fashina was declared the
winner of the prestigious award at the grand finale held on Friday,
November 27, 2020, at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
ISN Products Nigeria Ltd, the convener of the award, is the leading
supplier of medical diagnostic products and services in Nigeria and has
been in operation for over 3 decades.
For emerging the winner of the inaugural edition of the award,
Fashina would receive a cash prize of One Million Naira (N1,
000,000.00), a Capacity Development Training, and a donation of Medical
Lab Equipment/Reagents worth One Million Naira to the Laboratory or
Hospital where he works.
Anayo Chidobu, who works with El-Lab Laboratories, Lagos state
emerged the first runner-up going home with a cash prize of Seven
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N750, 000.00) and a Capacity
Development Training opportunity while Yahaya Usman, an employee of
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State emerged
the second runner-up winning a cash prize of Five Hundred Thousand Naira
(N500, 000.00) and a Capacity Development Training opportunity. The
other 7 finalists were rewarded with a cash prize of N200,000 each.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Health, Dr.
Olorunnimbe Mamora, the Chief Executive Officer of Federal Medical
Centre, Ebute-Meta, Dr. Adedamola Dada, commended the company for
instituting such a noble initiative and also appreciated the
contribution of medical laboratory scientists who have continued to be a
strong component of the health care system in Nigeria.
“We are indeed happy that ISN has taken it upon itself to recognize
excellence among these subsets of health workers. We are equally pleased
with the detailed effort and process used in arriving at the winner,”
Dada added.
He, therefore, urged the top finalists including the winner to see
their emergence as an opportunity to contribute more in advancing the
quality of medical laboratory science practice in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of ISN Products
Nigeria Limited, Mr. Felix Ofungwu, noted that the award was part of
efforts by the company to contribute its quota in promoting and
rewarding excellence among medical laboratory scientists for their
active role in the health sector.
According to Ofungwu, the place of medical laboratory scientists in
the health care sector could not have been more significant given their
contribution to saving lives amidst the rampaging effect of COVID-19 in
Nigeria.
“For us at ISN, we believe that proper and adequate care is only as
good as the accuracy of the diagnosis that the patient receives and the
responsibility of that diagnosis is largely borne by the medical
laboratory scientists,” he added.
In his goodwill message, the President, Medical Laboratory Science
Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Mr. Tosan Erhabor equally lauded the company
for leading the charge to celebrate the unsung heroes of the health
sector through this initiative. “The vision of ISN is in tandem with
what MLSCN stands for and the reward for the award itself lends credence
to the company’s commitment to quality laboratory service in Nigeria.
Speaking shortly after being announced the winner of the maiden
edition of the award, Fashina applauded the management of the company
for its commitment to quality medical science practice which, he said
has been demonstrated through the recognition given to practitioners via
the initiative. He further charged other laboratory scientists to keep
working hard and ensuring a quality standard of practice.
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