By Robert A Emmanuel
Antigua and Barbuda is among several Caribbean countries where laboratories remain largely unregulated.
That is according to the “Trust Every Result” campaign, which is being spearheaded by the Caribbean Med Labs Foundation in collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
According to a press release, despite efforts and progress to elevate laboratory standards across the Caribbean, less than 10 percent of Caribbean laboratories are regulated.
This was despite the fact that more than 80 percent of Caribbean medical decisions are influenced by lab results, creating an urgent need for comprehensive laboratory regulation that prioritises the health and well-being of Caribbean populations.
In a video testimonial in support of the cause, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ena Dalso-Henry, said laboratory testing was one of the first lines of protection for preserving the health of patients.
“That is why the role of medical laboratories can never be overestimated as the results determine the delivery of live-saving or life-ending treatment.
“This underpins the importance of consistency and quality in laboratory outputs and the need for regulations to demand these standards,” Dalso-Henry said.
She added that regulations were also vital to transparency and accountability in patient care.
“Accuracy and accountability in national and regional healthcare is also critical for monitoring large scale infections amongst vulnerable groups, as well as maintaining significant milestones for disease control,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Rhonda Sealey-Thomas also participated in a video testimonial stating that the pandemic highlighted the critical need for accurate and prompt test results.
She said the regulation of laboratory services was a method to ensure effective management of future public health crises.
“If laboratories are not regulated, inaccurate results may be issued, causing physicians to miss certain diagnoses; in other instances, delays in diagnosis can cause delays in treatment.
“This can lead to death, particularly for certain diseases with high mortality rates such as cancer,” Dr Sealy-Thomas stated.
The Caribbean Med Labs Foundation is a non-governmental organisation established in 2007 in response to a request from Caricom Ministers of Health for building and sustaining the highest quality medical laboratory services.
The “Trust Every Result” campaign said that it is a “resounding call to action, underscoring the pivotal importance of instilling trust in every laboratory result, whether emanating from clinical or public health laboratories”.
The campaign is being championed by the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, after his government introduced a national laboratory policy and enacted legislation to regulate medical laboratories in 2022.
