Evadnie Enniss retires as GNBS Executive Director

May 07, 2016 News

– as private hospital’s laboratory get recertification
The appointment of a new Executive Director of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is imminent. This development comes on the heels of the retirement of Ms. Evadnie Enniss on April 30, 2016.

Ms. Evadnie Enniss at (left) hands offer the certificate to Dr. Madhu Singh

This publication understands the applications for the position have already been accepted and that the name of the new Executive Director is likely to be shortly revealed.
Enniss’ predecessor was Dr. Chatterpaul Ramcharran. She reportedly acted in the Executive Director position for five years before being appointed last year.
However, before assuming the responsibilities of Executive Director, Enniss was the appointed Head of Information Services Department. She was employed at the GNBS for 19 years.
Her final public act within the employ of the Bureau was at a recent ceremony to recertify the laboratory of Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital, East Street, Georgetown.
According to GNBS, the hospital laboratory was recertified under its Laboratory Certification Programme as it continued to meet the requirements of the Guyana Standard (GYS 170) – General requirements for the operation of a laboratory.
The certification became effective on Thursday April 28, 2016. During a ceremonial forum in the hospital laboratory, Enniss was tasked with presenting the recertification to Dr. Madhu Singh, Medical Director of the privately operated health facility.
In addressing the staff members of the laboratory at the simple presentation ceremony, Enniss encouraged them to continue to do what is required to maintain standardization within the Laboratory through Certification. She also encouraged the management of the laboratory to commence working towards Accreditation to the ISO 15189 Standard which is recognized internationally.
Through its National Laboratory Certification programme, the GNBS determines whether laboratories involved in testing, measurement and/or calibration activities are satisfying the criteria outlined in the National Standard.
Laboratories which conform to the requirements of this standard are provided with formal recognition that they have implemented a laboratory management system, thus providing quality assurance for customers as they identify and select reliable testing or calibration services to meet their needs.
The GNBS also carries out surveillance and monitoring activities during the period of certification to ensure that laboratories are maintaining the system.
The recertification of the Dr. Balwant Singh’s Medical Laboratory has kept it among the group of certified medical laboratories in Guyana which includes: the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Medical Laboratory, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Laboratory, Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc., Medical Arts Centre Laboratory, Georgetown Medical Centre, Quest Medical Centre Laboratory and Woodlands Hospital Laboratory.
Uncertified laboratories that are interested in becoming certified can approach the GNBS to be sensitized on the certification process.
According to the GNBS the objective of certification is to facilitate the implementation and maintenance of a laboratory management system in testing laboratories thus ensuring the issuance of accurate, reliable and consistent test results; to facilitate improvement in laboratory practices and to provide users of laboratories with added confidence in the laboratory results.
GNBS has also outlined that laboratory certification benefits laboratories by allowing them to determine whether they are performing their work efficiently and to appropriate standards. It provides them with a bench mark for maintaining the laboratory management system and improving the quality of laboratory services offered to customers.
GNBS has assured, too, that Laboratory Certification is a means of determining the performance of laboratories conducting testing, measurement and calibration. It provides formal recognition that a laboratory has implemented a laboratory management system, thus providing a ready means to customers to identify and select reliable testing, measurement and calibration services to meet their needs.
To maintain this certification, laboratories are re-evaluated periodically by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to ensure that there is continual compliance with the requirements and to check that their standard of operation is being maintained.
The laboratory may also be required to participate in relevant proficiency testing programmes between reassessments, as a further demonstration of technical performance.