7 News Belize

Lab Weeks Celebrates Precision
posted (April 23, 2020)

It’s Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, a time to celebrate and encourage clinical laboratory personnel while increasing public understanding of and appreciation for all the work they do. And in our second look at the Central Medical Lab, we’ll feature the wider work being done by the Heroes in Lab coats who quietly and competently go about their duties. Medical Technologist Michelle Escobar who shared what it is about her job that keeps her motivated. 

Michelle Escobar - Serologist
"What motivates us is we just do our best and we do it because we love it. The numbers of donors have decreased but we still have work. We still have a lot of work. So yes, Covid is halting many things but the testing continues yes the cancer still continues, HIV, syphilis, all the other infectious diseases and centrally transmitted infections or diseases they don’t stop so the work here doesn’t stop."

And it can’t stop because even though Central Medical Lad is the only Lab certified to perform COVID-19 tests they are also responsible for the most complex tests required to inform medical decisions for the treatment of major illnesses nationwide.

Juvencio Chan - Acting Director of Laboratory Services, Belize Central Medical Lab
"Central Medical lab is the referral Lab for the country. What we do we do routine testing as per any district lab but what we do is we do more specialized testing. The tests that aren’t being done at is being referred to us and that is how central lab is a referral Lab for the country. Our primary responsibility is testing and giving results to the Ministry. Practically we have to ensure that we meet our target, our deadlines, turn-around timing is very important for us and ensuring that we comply with, you know, the highest quality of result is our priority."

Reena Usher Ordonez - Medical Technologist and Safety Officer
"We are the only microbiology lab that is fully functional at the moment we’re trying to decentralize to the other districts. We still do quality checks on their work to make sure that everything is in order."

But Lab’s supervisor Aldo Sosa says that at the heart of all their efforts lie quality results that must be validated.

Aldo Sosa - Laboratory Supervisor
"Our profession basically goes unnoticed, however, one of the things we want to stress this week. Research shows that at least 80% are made based on laboratory results and with that in mind we want to assure the public that for us yes it is important to run the tests yes it is important to give a result but more important than all that is the underlying fact that we want to issue quality results. Here at Central Lab not only do we take out a result from the machine it must be validated before it is issued. I don’t know how widespread that is in the lab community but I'm definitely sure that here at Central medical Lab that is one of our foundational principles."

It can only be hoped that this Lab week, which comes at the most challenging of times for the profession is observed with some measure of reverence for processes that require technical skill and precision, but also bravery.

Lab Week is annually celebrated from April 19th to April 25th.

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