The Director-General of Blood Banks and Laboratories, Dr. Ibrahim Al Omar, stated that the laboratory of King Fahd Hospital-Jeddah has obtained the Central Board of Accreditation for Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) Certification, pointing out that the laboratory is one of the first MOH laboratories to obtain the Total Quality Management National Accreditation since 1426H (2005).
He mentioned that the laboratory is currently preparing for obtaining the accreditation of the JCI Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, as the work policies and procedures are being implemented accurately according to international standards. Moreover, the laboratory was praised by World Health Organization's delegates during their visit in October 2011. The laboratory has an integrated computer system that links it to all medical departments in the hospital, thus ensuring the speed and accuracy of performance.
Dr. Al Omar added that the laboratory processes more than three million pathological samples per year, as the emergency department receives 700 patients per day, and clinics receive 100-200 patients per day, while there are 600 inpatients in the hospital. The number shows the amount of consumed reagents and solutions that are provided by the Ministry. As soon as the inventory runs out, the Health Affairs Directorate, in Jeddah, purchases these reagents and solutions within days.
Furthermore, Dr. Al Omar stated that the sole laboratory to screen donated blood for virus detection was opened and operated in 1430 H. The laboratory serves all the governmental blood banks in Jeddah. It ensures that blood supplies are safe and free from HIV and hepatitis viruses. In addition, the only laboratory in Jeddah to screen for tuberculosis, using the fastest and most accurate technology in the world, was opened and operated on Muharram 1432 H, as it was chosen by the Ministry of Health to evaluate the latest equipment in the world in diagnosing tuberculosis. A number of the latest and most advanced high-tech equipments in the world, such as the chemistry device, and the virus quantitative diagnosis device, costing millions of riyals, have been provided by the Ministry to ensure providing high quality services free for the citizens.
During this year, the Ministry has provided a new and free laboratory service for the citizens for the first time; tha is sending rare tests abroad to be examined by the foreign laboratories with international accreditation, that implement international standards and meet the requirements of comprehensive quality and International Accreditation Board.
The Ministry has replaced old equipments with modern ones, as all equipments that need to be replaced have been reported in February 2011, and got the purchasing approval in October 2011. Donation equipments and all refrigerators were replaced with new ones that meet medical laboratories quality standards, while the rest of the equipments will be provided within the coming months. The laboratory organizes specialized training courses in all fields of laboratory medicine and blood bank. It also qualifies graduates; up to 150 trainees in all disciplines. The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties has chosen the hospital laboratory to perform scientific and practical evaluation to the applicants of SCFHS licenses.