Chevron alongside the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has presented a Molecular Biology Research laboratory to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi- Araba.

This came as the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the facility would help to improve the quality of medical research in the country.

The minister, who spoke in Lagos during the laboratory’s inauguration on Thursday, added that it would enable the hospital to provide complex medical diagnosis for its patients.

Represented by the Project Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdulsalami NCAasidi, the minister noted that the laboratory would provide specialised diagnostic services, thus making the country a hub of medical tourism in Africa.

With the laboratory, he stressed, that a foundation for LUTH to establish its stem cell transplantation unit, a Deoxyribonucleic Acid laboratory, and a nuclear medicine facility has been laid.

The laboratory worth over  a N100m, said to be the first in West Africa, will provide preventive diagnosis for sickle cell anaemia; DNA finger printing — using biologic product to identify individuals — parentage testing, screening for breast cancer gene I and II, among other molecular diagnoses.

Chukwu said,“ With this laboratory, the country will soon become a destination of choice for medical tourism, especially from our neighbouring countries. The availability of this centre will have a significant impact as thousands of Nigerians, who can not afford overseas medical treatment, can have access to quality and affordable health care services provided by the facility.”

The minister commended the donor firms for their commitment towards improving the country’s health care, especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Vice-President, Policy and Planning, Chevron Corporation, Rhoda Zygocki, said the organisation collaborated with LUTH to improve the quality of diagnostic and treatment facilities in the country.

She said, “Our partnership with LUTH in providing the laboratory, worth N100m, aligns with our commitment to help improve the quality of health care delivery in Nigeria.With this laboratory, we have unlocked DNA biotechnology for Nigeria. In particular, LUTH will be able to provide some services for Nigerians, which hitherto were not readily available in the country.”

The LUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Akin Oshibogun, said the circumstances surrounding the 2012 Dana plane crash, among others, prompted the move for the provision of the laboratory.

He said, “Following the sad incident of the DANA crash in 2012 and the delays that preceded the release of bodies, we set for ourselves, a goal of developing the capability for DNA Biotechnology in the hospital.

“Not only for the purposes of identification, but also for other very important purposes, including prenatal screening and genetic diagnosis. We also hope that in future we will be able to go into the advanced areas of gene therapy.”