A medical expert, Dr Usman Adekanmi, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to make genotype results compulsory as a marriage requirement for intending couples.
Adekanmi who is the registrar of the Department of Hematology, at the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, said the action will go a long way in reducing the rate of sickle cell ailment in the country.
Speaking at an event to mark this year’s World Sickle Day, held at the Osun Window on America, UNIOSUN teaching hospital, Adekanmi emphasised the urgent need for the government to enforce genotype tests on intending couples.
Adekanmi further urged the government to checkmate the activities of medical laboratories in the country, noting that some issues have wrong results which eventually mislead intending couples.
He said, “My number one appeal is that government at all levels should checkmate the activities of all laboratories in Nigeria, like one of the panellists just said, she was given wrong results in a lab which led to her situation.
“The government should also ensure that marriage institutions don’t join people that are not compatible together. Even the traditional, religious and court marriages, when couples are not compatible their marriages should not be sanctioned.”
However, the convener and founder of ModuupelreSC Advocacy Initiative, Modupe Sijuade, enjoined the federal government to assist sickle cell patients in accessing drugs through National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) and state insurance schemes.
She further gifted no fewer than 50 sickle cell patients free drugs present at the event, urging well-to-do Nigerians to join in saving the patients.
“I’m calling out to government bodies, if there is a way they can help us access drugs, especially at the NHIS, O’HIS scheme to access more of our drugs, although we have access to this scheme but we don’t get enough medication there, we have to spend a lot. On that note today we will be giving 50 sickle cell patients free drugs,” she said.