SYNLAB Nigeria Expands DNA Testing Beyond Paternity

 In response to societal needs with regard  to the authenticity of biological relationships, SYNLAB Nigeria, a medical diagnostic service provider has expanded its DNA testing capacity to include other forms of biological relationship. 

Chief Medical Officer of the organisation, Dr. Afolabi Obe confirmed the change in name and testing from paternity testing to biological testing in a recent statement.

He stated that the organisation earlier restricted its DNA testing to finding out the authenticity of an individual’s father and has successfully established this over the years. This expansion means that SYNLAB Nigeria can find out the authenticity of an individual’s mother, siblings, twin, kinship and other forms of biological relationship.

Obe said this change sought  to meet the need within SYNLAB’s market and in line with the organisation’s mission of providing actionable diagnostic information. 

He said  the unique positioning of the organisation in Nigeria, including the spread of locations across the country and online, as well as its continued conformity with international standards concerning every diagnosis, prove SYNLAB’s capability in this new terrain.

On the privacy and confidentiality of the biological testing and results, the Obe  said SYNLAB works in line with international standards. The company he said ensures proper client identification using the government approved means of identification, ensures adherence to standard procedure for sample collection and gives the final result to only the individual that has been agreed to collect it. 

He said SYNLAB also required the consent of each individual participating in any form of biological testing, including, paternity, maternity or siblings testing. 

“The individuals may also present court affidavit where the forms of identification are not available. In the case of minors, SYNLAB requires the guardian’s means of identification, the minor’s birth certificate and their means of identification”, he said.

 He said recognising that biological testing was  a sensitive testing, SYNLAB maintained precautions that ensured the accuracy and integrity of the test results, adding that apart  from the staff’s use of exclusive equipment for each individual during sample collection, SYNLAB’s procedure also ensured that sample labelling, identification, packaging and sealing were done in the presence of the individuals involved in the testing. 

He said these  procedures ensured that there was no mix up of samples that could interfere with the result.

SYNLAB Nigeria according to Obe, is a member of the SYNLAB group, with presence in over 35 countries in four continents. The organisation he said had over 30 active locations across Nigeria and had been ISO 15189 certified since 2006.

“SYNLAB Group is the leader in medical diagnostic services and specialty testing in Europe. The Group offers a full range of innovative and reliable medical diagnostics to patients, practicing doctors, hospitals and clinics, governments and corporates.

Providing the leading level of service within the industry, SYNLAB is the partner of choice for routine and specialty diagnostics in human and veterinary medicine. The Group continuously innovates medical diagnostic services for the benefit of patients and customers”, Obe stated.