Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson has pointed to a number of initiatives put in place as part of the Ministry’s commitment to continuing the thrust towards further strengthening the National Public Health Laboratory.
Dr. Ferguson was speaking recently during a laboratory policy meeting which aimed to begin the process of developing a national policy to inform and guide the operations of the lab.
“Already we have put in place a Laboratory Information Management System for the National Public Health Laboratory and we began to put systems in place to strengthen its capacity including increased equipment and human resource. Notwithstanding these efforts we recognize the value and strength in having the right policies and the proper legislative framework in place to guide the development and strengthening of the lab.,” he said.
He added that one of the major thrusts of the Ministry of Health is to restructure and modernize the National Public Health Laboratory. “Our public health system depends largely on a firmly established and modern laboratory service which can effectively aid in areas such as disease surveillance, data management, vector control, environmental health and food safety among others,” he said.
Dr. Ferguson pointed out that strengthening our laboratory systems will bring us a step closer to strengthening our health system which is essential for protecting and maintaining the health of our citizens.
The Ministers of Health of the Council for Health and Social Development (COHSOD) endorsed and accepted the Regional Laboratory Policy Framework in September 2014. The framework provides a roadmap towards the development of strong and sustainable lab service that can adequately respond to the needs of the population.