The improvement of laboratory services across the country has been one of the main focuses of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), which has indicated its intention to ensure that all such services are in keeping with the standards applied by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.
A release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), on an interview conducted with National Laboratory Coordinator at the Ministry of Public Health Laboratory Services, Joyce Whyte-Chin quoted her as saying “Clinicians rely on laboratory results to have a 100 percent accuracy of what a patient might be suffering from. Even for patients who are already on treatment, laboratory results for viral load or CD4, will give a clinician an indication of whether the patient is progressing or regressing”.
She further noted that the results from labs are utilized in research and are critical for tackling outbreaks within a country. “It will also aid in letting a doctor know how to deal with patients who are multi-drug resistant”, she added.
Given its critical role in healthcare, DPI noted that as part of the ministry’s national expansion initiative, there have been improvements in clinical laboratory accuracy and quality at the primary and tertiary health facilities throughout the 10 Administrative Regions.
These include the introduction of microbiological testing, which allows culture and sensitivity testing, especially for patients with wound injuries. This is the first time such services are being offered in Guyana.
DPI went on to report the developments made in the provision of access to laboratory services locally. In Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), laboratory services are being offered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, DPI said, reporting that 48 health centres provide a variety of other medical services throughout the region.
“We have our laboratory staff visiting these 48 health centres, five days a week and samples are collected and brought to the different laboratories. The turnaround time is about five to seven days depending on the specialty of the testing. These are new services we have implemented, and they are very effective especially in the health centres in Georgetown where our sole purpose is (targeting) ante-natal mothers” Whyte- Chin noted.
Biochemistry and hematology testing have been available at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre since its establishment in 2011.
In Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), patients can now access the lab at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, eliminating the need to travel to the Leonora and Wakenaam Cottage Hospitals.
The release also noted that last year, the ministry refurbished two laboratories at the Fort Wellington and Mahaicony Hospitals in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), which are equipped with microscopes and biochemistry and hematology analysers. And earlier this month, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, re-commissioned the medical laboratory at the Skeldon Hospital and commissioned a new laboratory at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).
The New Amsterdam Hospital, Whyte-Chin related, has a blood banking section, provides services for ante-natal mothers, tests for most communicable and non-communicable diseases and supports other sub-programmes such as chronic disease.
In Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), there are two main laboratories, one at the Bartica Regional Hospital and another at the Kamarang Hospital, as well as a small satellite lab that provides point-of-care testing in Issano for residents of the Middle-Mazaruni, Whyte-Chin reported.
It was stated that the laboratory at the Mahdia Regional Hospital in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) is scheduled for upgrades and an expansion this year. Additionally, it is anticipated that the Ministry will establish a medical laboratory at the Kato Cottage Hospital.
DPI further reported that the ministry has already purchased a new biochemistry and hematology analyser to boost existing services in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and a new medical laboratory is currently being constructed at the Lethem Regional Hospital.
“We are in the process of securing equipment for Annai and Aishalton sub-districts and we are also seeking to provide training next month in the entire sub-district for point-of-care testing. We have been doing point-of-care screening across the Region to boost antenatal screening,” Whyte-Chin said.
She had noted that Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) has three active, fully automated laboratories, located at the Linden Regional, Kwakwani, and Upper Demerara hospitals.
