by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Jos: A construction firm, the ‘Messrs Phenomenal Impressions Limited,’ has handed over Renovated/Remodeling of Laboratories for the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, of UNIJOS, to the institution. The project was funded under the 2023 budget Student Charges.
Our correspondent reports that, about N45 million was spent during the renovation/remodeling, which has the capacity of 144 students.
The contractor, Messrs Phenomenal Impressions Limited, handed over the project to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Admin, Prof. Joash Amupitan, at the Old Campus of the University, Gangare, on Tuesday.
Receiving the project, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Admin, Prof. Amupitan, said the department is a very, very important one under the Faculty of Health Science, saying that the focus of their administration is to ensure that they rate units, departments and center of excellence.
According to him, “This is just the beginning, because it’s a practical course. The University of Jos has one of the best departments in Nigeria. The more you trained, the more our talents are taken away – even outside the country.
“So, we need to improve in our infrastructure, especially the Laboratory Department; and that is what we have done today.
“I am not yet satisfied; we still have much to do, but you need to see what this place was before now but now we are turning it round; so, this is just the beginning,” he stated.
According to him, “The laboratory will serve for now 144 students. Each stool will take about 4 students, but we still have more rooms for expansion.
“However, that is not even our goal for the department. We are seeing how we can to even have a brand new structure for the College of Health Science and of which department and the faculty will be accommodated,” he noted.
Also speaking, Dean Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Prof. James Garba Daman, said, “Last year alone, Medical Laboratory Science have up to 20,000 Medical Laboratory Scientists, and the President is actually concerned, especially the Federal Ministry of Health.
“We have to think inward – how we can increase the production of Medical Professional so that, in the near feature, we will not run in problem, because quite a number of professional are moving out of the country,” he stressed.
Prof. Daman said, “The VC had done what is actually in line with the directive of the President. They had NUC accreditation, and we are also looking forward to professional accreditation at the Medical Laboratory Science Nigeria.”
According to him, they usually come and look at human resources; they look at infrastructure, and that is what informs them to even increase the quota even to a particular program.
Prof. Daman further explained that, with this, they are hopeful that when the Medical Science Nigeria comes for accreditation, they will definitely increase even the quota, and commended the University management for approving two new programs.