Ebola: Lab Scientists Urge FG To Review School Resumption.

SOURCE:Leadership 

The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has called on the federal government to review evidence on ground to decide whether schools should resume or not, in the interest of the country.

The call was made over the weekend at the associations national executive council meeting in Abuja.

The president of the AMLSN, Dr Godswill Okara said, Our country must not be allowed to come to a halt because of the outbreak of any disease.

He said hype and panic had made Ebola situation confounding, despite public messages thats been carried in the media.

He noted the country should be ready to return to normal, once evidence on the ground shows that the outbreak has been contained.

Whatever decision government is taking must be based on available, professional, scientific evidence, not hearsay, said Okara.

Doctors and teachers union have opposed proposed resumption of schools, citing concerns over the outbreak and managing large student populations.

However, Okara urged teachers not to overreact regarding federal government decision to delay reopening schools nationwide till September 22 on account of Ebola outbreak.

He said, We call on NUT (Nigerian Union of Teachers) not to overreact. It is not the place of teachers to manage disease condition. Their reaction should be based on hard scientific evidence, not driven by fear and panic, he urged.

The association commended Nigerias response, including the commitment of N1.9 billion to fight Ebola, but said the outbreak was a wakeup call to look inward to the potential of professionals and laboratory scientists in the quest for vaccines.

Okara said Nigeria would be better off if government showed the same commitment to invigoration and reactivation of vaccine production that it has shown for Ebola.

He added there was no reason the country couldnt produce human vaccines when it could capably produces some 18 animal vaccines.