By Rosemary Ogbonnaya
Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC,Rev. Yakubu Pam has said that the Commission would partner with the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria for improved health of pilgrims during pilgrimage.
Pam made this disclosure while receiving delegation from the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria in his office at the NCPC Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
NCPC boss briefed his guests on the mandate of the Commission as the only Christian faith based Agency that is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating and organising Christian Pilgrimage to any Holy Sites in the world.
The Executive Secretary said that the Association is a platform that is very important to humans because of how sensitive the platform is.
He charged the medical personnel to ensure they have an improved and good service delivery, which will result to uplifting the good name of the Association and Nigeria.
Pam,however, expressed his dissatisfaction on the high cost of conducting a PCR test in Nigeria and the world at large.
He called on the Medical Association to use their good offices to advocate for the supply of booster for citizens that have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so that it could help enhance the pilgrimage exercise process.
Earlier, the Leader of the delegation who is also the 14th National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Prof.James Garba Damen thanked the Executive Secretary for the opportunity given to the Association to pay him a visit.
Damen also congratulated him on his well deserved appointment as the substantive Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.
He explained that the Association has keenly followed the ways the NCPC Boss is piloting the activities of the Commission since his appointment as the Executive Secretary.
The leader stated that, they are aware that the duty of the Commission is to Cater for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of Nigerian Pilgrims as well as the health status when they embark on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, adding that the purpose of their visit was to introduce themselves as the current National Executive Officers of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria and also convey their intentions to collaborate with the Commission towards strengthening the healthcare system in Nigeria.
According to Damen, the Medical Laboratory Scientists are the backbone of the modern medical practice. It is mostly through medical laboratory investigations that health status is detected.
He recommended a periodic check up for staff of the Commission to ensure physical wellbeing of staff and pilgrims.
He stated that the Medical Scientists are not fully integrated into the services of the Commission, while soliciting for the inclusion of more Medical Laboratory Scientists in the Medical team of the Commission to ensure the health status of the pilgrims is determined and monitored.
