Issues on Laboratory management in the Arab Region

ISSUES ON LABORATORY MANAGEMENT IN THE ARAB REGION G. Shannan UNDP, Syria The Arab Federation of Clinical Biology, AFCB represents considerable parts of the Middle East and North Africa with 11 countries of the region are members of this organisation. The population of AFCB countries is around 300 million inhabitants with more than 4000 - 5000 practicing laboratory medicine in the public and privates sectors. Practicing Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in AFCB Region varies from country to country; as well as the regulations which govern laboratory medicine practice. In this paper we will shed some lights on the current practice of Laboratory Management in AFCB region with discussion about the level of implementations; in addition to the legislative, financial and/or scientific obstacles which have prevented some countries of the region from prioritising Laboratory Management Practice. The laboratory Management concept has not been fully implemented in any of the AFCB countries; however, there are various levels of implementation in the Arab Region. In some countries only basic practice of Quality Assurance have been considered while in other countries advanced practice of laboratory management including accreditation have been implemented. The current practice with its prose and cones will be discussed including the differences from country to country. The role of legislation in shaping the future of Laboratory Medicine and the challenges to unify these legislations will be discussed. Quality issues will be a major target of any new developments. The implementation of quality standards and Accreditation Programme and the assistance required from various national and international organisations will be presented. The region faces some major problems with manufacturers of laboratory equipment and instruments due to the size of the market which in some instance is not so attractive in comparison with the European and American Markets. We feel that the manufactures are not so interested in investing in such countries to provide proper after sale service. The training of Laboratory Medicine in AFCB region is a key issue which should be addressed and a plan of action should be established to improve the quality of training to reach the international standards.

Original Article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308749264_Issues_on_Laboratory_management_in_the_Arab_Region

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