Medical lab services free in Region Five

Apr 10, 2019 News

Medical Laboratories Manager, Muniram Balgobin (left), talks with Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence who recently visited the medical lab at the Mahaicony Hospital

─ 77,000 tests processed annually
─ Mahaicony hospital lab functions 24/7

Residents of Region Five no longer need to travel to Georgetown for medical tests as these are available for free at the Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre and Fort Wellington Hospital.
With 14 Medical Technologists employed in the region, and another five in training, more than 77,000 medical laboratory tests are done each year. This is compared to only 12,000 tests in 2011, when just two technologists were employed.
Medical Laboratories Manager, Muniram Balgobin has worked in the region for eight years. He said the progress in this particular area is not without its challenges; however, the commitment of the staff has resulted in progress.
“We used to offer five types of tests in the region, and now we offer more than 100 types of tests. In terms of the labs, we have been progressing, we are trying to move away, however, from manual methods, and we are trying to be more automated.”
He was at the time sharing his concerns with Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence and Minister within the Ministry, Dr. Karen Cummings, who visited health facilities in the region recently.
Balgobin envisages the service delivery being maximised to ensure every person obtaining the service in the region have full access to laboratory services.
“We are offering at Mahaicony Hospital 24-hour lab services, every day, whether holiday or weekend. At Fort Wellington, we are aiming to do the same… with the additional staff (those in training) to come on board, we can actually put a 24-hour system in place there as well,” he added.
Of the five staffers being trained, four will be placed at the Fort Wellington Hospital while one will remain at Mahaicony. Also, requests have been made to the ministry to ensure that with expansion in services, there is the provision of the requisite machines and equipment to have tests done. (DPI)