*Urges government intervention

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Professor Mikhail Olayinka Buhari of the Department of Pathology, University of Ilorin, has lamented the magnitude of the challenges posed by kidney diseases and the increasing sophistication in the services offered by Clinical Medicine, urging the government to make available the right tools for General Pathological services.

Delivering his inaugural lecture at the University Auditorium, Prof. Buhari stressed the need for the government to create special centres for the management of cancers and kidney disorders, adding that 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 said: “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.

“In the same vein, hospitals should have well spelt out autopsy policies in order to derive the maximum benefits from the procedure.”

Prof. Buhari 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, urging that the vaccines should be made affordable for the few vaccine-preventable cancers.

He 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, saying “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.”