The Ministry of Health (MOH) has equipped Jeddah Regional Laboratory with the latest laboratory equipments to detect any cases of viral or epidemiological infections. The Ministry also provided the laboratory with one of the most important and latest laboratory equipment worldwide, which magnifies the DNA of the virus and conducts molecular analysis of this DNA.
Dr. Saeed Al-Amoudi, the Supervisor-General of the Regional Laboratory and the Director of the Administration of Laboratories and Blood Banks in Jeddah pointed that the regional lab in Jeddah, which has recently witnessed a quantum leap, has the ability to detect any known virus, or any new virus that is discovered, after providing the virus detector.
Dr. Al-Amoudi pointed out that the laboratory, which was established about 40 years ago, has been accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Central Board of Accreditation for Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI). He added that the lab includes three sections: technical laboratories, concerned with blood diseases, microbiology, serums and chemistry. The second section is virus laboratories which diagnose virus and the level of DNA, and the third is pre-marriage examination. New laboratories for genetic diseases, tumors and cancers are being established.
He pointed out that informing the competent authority of the results of virus detection is done within a period not exceeding 72 hours, with results conforming to quality standards. He made it clear that the laboratory employs qualified Saudi cadres. It has received a certificate of quality from CBAHI with an honorable degree.
Al-Amoudi stated that the laboratory is considered the reference laboratory for hospitals as it receives the samples that cannot be tested in hospitals. The laboratory performs several tasks, including examinations and others. He pointed out that the laboratory carries out routine testing for all health centers and some government hospitals in the government, including biochemistry, hormone, hematology, bacterial culture and parasitic diseases tests beside HIV tests and vaccines.
Dr. Al-Amoudi added that the laboratory is also conducting specialized tests, including examinations of epidemic diseases such as avian and swine flu and anthrax, and tests of hemorrhagic fevers such as dengue fever, winery, Rift Valley fever, fever of the Nile Valley and the Crimean. This is in addition to monitoring the accuracy of tests in hospitals and private clinics for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and food poisoning and tests carried out for those in contact with cases of food poisoning, and biological and chemical water analyses, beside examining tuberculosis samples, tests for newborns, and premarital tests at the government level.