THE Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs this week hosted a two- day stakeholders’ consultation to review the National Laboratory Policy, Legislation and Regulations.
The consultation was held in collaboration with the Caribbean Med Labs Foundation, with support from the OECS Regional Health (World Bank) Project.
Over fifty key laboratory stakeholders gathered at the Coco Palm Hotel on Thursday 19 October, to review the National Laboratory Policy, Legislation and Regulations. Although the National Laboratory Policy had been approved in 2019, the Ministry of Health felt it was necessary to gather input from the various stakeholders ahead of the implementation of the policy.
Saint Lucia’s National Laboratory Policy, Legislation and Regulations provides a blueprint for the development of a strong, reliable, quality-assured and sustainable national medical and public health laboratory service.
Acting Quality Assurance Manager at the Ministry of Health Ms. Tecla Jn. Baptiste said the consultative process is key in strengthening the leadership and governance structures to ensure the highest standards of care for the citizenry.
‘It speaks to our commitment to improving health care delivery quality, safety and effectiveness as outlined in the National Health Care Policy. It also means quality, that is, meeting the standards. Quality is of paramount importance in medical laboratory and should be emphasized. Laboratories that practice quality assurance principles generate reliable, relevant and cost-effective results,” Jn. Baptiste said, noting that “the Lab is a critical first step in managing a patient/client to ensure enhanced patient clinical outcomes.”
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon-Belmar George stated that there was a need for national health standards in every service to ensure objective performance monitoring.
“An honest assessment of our health care system identifies some critical gaps that need urgent attention. Health care workers in the categories of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health practitioners, are regulated and licensed, however, with the exception of pharmacists, the institutions in which they operate are not regulated or licensed. So, to ensure an acceptable standard of health care on island, linked to safety, best practice, efficiency, and client-centered care it is often necessary to develop policy to govern all of our services including our medical practices, diagnostic centers, allied health practices and our labs. These standards will be applied not only in the public but private sectors…” the CMO said.
Caribbean Med Labs Foundation director, Ms. Valerie Wilson provided an overview of the Regulatory Quality Strengthening Initiative:
There are several expected outcomes of the consultation, some of which include: the ability of participants to effectively explain the intent of the medical laboratory policy, its legislation and regulations. They must also be able to describe the licensing responsibilities for medical laboratories in Saint Lucia.