Ministry moves to improve lab-testing accuracy
Stabroek News
June 8, 2004
Guyana has made strides in providing cost-effective testing services in its laboratories but more can be done.
So said Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy in his feature address at the launch of the ministry's Proficiency Testing Co-ordination Sch-eme yesterday. The scheme is being co-ordinated by the Ministry of Health and aims to ensure national laboratory testing is uniform.
It is a method of assessing the quality of lab results by providing testing material to be examined in the same manner as patient specimens.
Among the objectives of such tests are their use as an external mechanism to monitor and improve test performance.
Ramsammy noted that such a scheme was only one tool in an armament to regulate quality service and he added no country could survive with just this measure but also requires quality control and assurance, lab accreditation and inter-lab testing schemes.
The minister said Guyana has made progress in providing cost-effective services through technicians produced by the University of Guyana (UG) while the Guyana National Bureau of Standards has contributed by introducing its laboratory registration and certification programme.
He made reference to the Health Facilities Licensing legislation, which has undergone revisions and should be engaging Parliament later this year.
Dr Dennison Davis, the Ministry of Health's Director of Standards and Technical Services said several private laboratories were popping up and their quality of service was causing some concern.