Guyanese can now benefit from the services of another medical laboratory with the opening of the QualiTEST Brand Laboratory in Alberttown on Tuesday evening.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and his wife Yvonne Hinds were among the special invitees at the opening ceremony for the lab, which aims to provide quality service, diagnosis and patient management. The lab is furnished with modern equipment that has been validated and is in keeping
with local laws and regulations and boasts a staff complement of five, a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Hinds was reported as saying that health is one’s most important assets and as the society advances more investments are being made in healthcare. Hinds was also pleased that persons pursuing studies in the medical field are now better able to obtain certification, which is another indicator of the country’s growth.
Chief Executive Officer of QualiTEST Brand Yvette Irving said research has shown that 80% of diagnosis is made based on testing laboratory data, while 20% is for medical decisions, which is due to emergency or absence of laboratory facilities.
“The path of our work flow begins outside the laboratory’s boundaries with the provided request for laboratory examination. This ends outside the laboratory’s boundaries as well when the laboratory results support a provider’s decision making,” she said. Irving also said that as the lab moves to meet an international standard, quality care will be the priority, and they are going to be seeking ways to improve their experience through feedback.
Dr David Seccombe, Managing Director at the Canadian External Quality Assessment Laboratory, said that he has been working with several laboratories in the Caribbean and is now collaborating with the Ministry of Heath to improve health care facilities in Guyana and the QualiTEST Brand Laboratory.
