Woodlands Hospital finally certified by GNBS

Jan 15, 2009 News

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— Almost 30 labs yet to be certified – Dr Ramcharran

After offering its laboratory service to the public for over five years, the Woodlands Hospital laboratory was for the first time officially certified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) yesterday.
At a simple ceremony held at the hospital’s Carmichael Street location, GNBS Head Dr Chatterpaul Ramcharran noted that the move by the medical institution to become certified is a prestigious achievement.
According to him, the certification indicates that the hospital operates in accordance with the general Guyana Standard outlined for the operation of a laboratory, adding that the standard is not far from the international standard, the ISO 17025.
Dr Ramcharran pointed out that a laboratory is a complex and unique facility, which is mandated to provided results which are honest, accurate, consistent and reliable since they help to make certain important decisions such as diagnosis and treatment of patients.
“It is very important that this objective (certification) is achieved by the laboratory. So it is necessary to use a standard to streamline or standardise the laboratory. I am very happy that Woodlands has complied with this national standard.”
But according to the GNBS Head, the hospital was not able to be certified overnight, since the management of the entity was tasked with developing its policy and procedural manuals.
The hospital was also mandated to implement the procedures and the quality policies in the laboratory. As a result, the lab has been keeping a comprehensive record as required by the standard, and personnel have since been trained specifically to man the facility.
“The laboratory has been using methodologies which are validated; they have a safe working environment and one that is suitable for carrying out the various tests.”
And based on the records that have been kept by the hospital, Dr Ramcharran disclosed that an audit was conducted to the satisfaction of GNBS, thus paving the way for the certification process.
Dr Ramcharran said though that there are still a number of medical laboratories yet to be certified even as he expressed optimism that the others would emulate the Woodlands Hospital move.
“I think we have about five medical laboratories already certified nationally; this is the sixth one but there are about 30 or so more which are required to be certified. They are working, but at varying degrees of development, and we are hoping that more will be certified.”
According to Dr Ramcharran, the Health Facilities Bill requires that all medical laboratories be certified by a certain time, after which the Standards Department of the Ministry of Health will take action in the form of closing down non-compliant laboratories.
And while it is important to become certified, Dr Ramcharran pointed out that commitment to sustain the status of a laboratory is also very crucial.
“It requires commitment from top management, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Directors, and that commitment needs to percolate down through the system to the bottom. Management not only needs to express that commitment but demonstrate it in the form of setting the policies at the different levels and setting their objectives,” Dr Ramcharran stressed.
Additionally, management will be responsible for procuring the resources required by the laboratory in order to put the suitable management system in place, he noted.
Moreover, the GNBS Head highlighted that management must carry out regular reviews of the quality system to ensure that it is complying with the standard requirements and that it is appropriate, a state of affairs that is currently evident at the Woodlands Hospital laboratory.
According to Dr. Ramcharran, a quality management system has been engaged at the laboratory and once it is maintained it will provide the results that are honest, accurate and precise, which is the expected outcome.
In congratulating the staffers of the institution, Dr Ramcharran pointed out that the onus is now on them to enforce and maintain the new system of operation.
He disclosed that surveillance audit of the lab will be conducted, periodically, by inspectors of the GNBS.
The certification of the laboratory will be valid for one year after which a renewal audit will be conducted to determine  whether the acceptable standard has been maintained to pave the way for renewed certification.
Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Dr Neville Gobin, regarded yesterday as a ‘Red Letter Day’ in the history of the hospital. He pointed out that the hospital has been in existence since 1967 and only in 2009 it has a laboratory that is certified.
He acknowledged that the importance of certification should in no way be downplayed in the life of a doctor and a hospital as a whole.
“Many times the life of a patient depends on the result of the tests conducted in a laboratory. We at Woodlands are indeed happy that our lab has achieved that standard so that when we send patients for results we can be confident about the accuracy of the results.”
Dr Gobin divulged that the process took much commitment and dedication from staff, both on the part of the hospital and the GNBS, even as he expressed satisfaction that the partnership has finally yielded the desired results.
He pointed out though that the work now truly begins at the laboratory to ensure that the requirements continue to be met so that the process of accreditation is maintained.

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