Ordinarily, the understanding of how blood genotype groups determine sickle cell cases in children should have helped to eliminate the disease in two decades, but this has not been the case because of genotype misdiagnosis which is rampant in the country. This was the submission of the Managing Director, Excellence Medical Laboratory, Mr. Charles Emuchay, who said that wrong genotype diagnosis is now a major reason for the increase in sickle cell cases in the country.
Emuchay made this call on Friday on the sidelines of the ongoing 22nd Annual National Conference/Annual General Meeting, Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors of Nigeria, in Aba, Abia State. The conference was themed: “Persistent Sickle Cell Disease in Africa: The Role of Private Medical Laboratories in its Mitigation and Possible Eradication.”
Mr. Emuchay noted that there have been cases of misdiagnosis in pre-marital testing for genotype urging private laboratory operators in the country to be more careful when conducting a genotype test for intending couples. He attributed the increase in sickle cell cases to wrong diagnoses and called on laboratory directors to do their best to correct past mistakes and ensure containment of the disease.
He appealed to the Federal and state governments to donate equipment to private laboratories for enhanced diagnosis. He said this was necessary to stem the incidence of the disease because private laboratories received a greater number of clients for pre-marital testing and counselling.
Emuchay also called on the Federal Government to upgrade diagnostic facilities in public hospitals to contain Sickle Cell Disease in the country. He lamented the unfortunate increase in sickle cell gene in Nigeria, despite efforts by governments, churches and non-governmental organisations to contain the disease. Emuchay urged medical laboratory directors to deliberate on how to provide accurate, reliable and cost-effective methods of diagnosing coronavirus.
He said this would help to cut cost at this period when government at all levels was finding it difficult to maintain healthcare facilities and pay health workers due to the economic meltdown. Sickle Cell Disease is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person’s parents, while the most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia.