LESSONS LEANRT OF THE FIRST PUBLIC SECTOR ISO 15189 ACCREDITED LABORATORY IN GHANA

Abstract

Background: Accreditation of public sector medical laboratories in developing countries such as Ghana have been described as an almost impossible task despite major efforts to establish and maintain efficient quality laboratory management systems. The Pathology Division of the 37 Military Hospital provides evidence of an efficient approach to accreditation to ISO 15189 in Ghana and the need to make medical laboratory accreditation an integral part of the national healthcare delivery system. Methods: The laboratory adopted the Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation (SLMTA) programme. After implementation the laboratory accelerated the process towards accreditation using an approach involving senior management in all accreditation activities, use of specific teams to focus on key improvement projects coordinated by an efficient mentorship programme. The laboratory was finally assessed by the Southern African Development Community for Accreditation Services to meeting the requirement of ISO 15189. Results: The Pathology Division of the 37 Military Hospital attained accreditation for its Haematology and Chemical Pathology departments making it the first public sector laboratory in Ghana to meet the requirement of ISO 15189. There has been an observed improvement in confidence of personnel and a culture for quality and meeting standards in support of quality healthcare delivery. Conclusion: ISO 15189 accreditation of medical laboratories is possible for all public sector laboratories in Ghana and the approach is scalable scalable especially for tertiary level laboratories. Accreditation ensures a culture for quality which is critical in support of quality patient care and must be an important aspect of national healthcare delivery systems.