The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Laboratory and Blood Bank Department at King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital in Taif has received the American accreditation certificate from the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
The Deputy Minister of Health for Laboratories and Blood Banks, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, indicated that Laboratory and Blood Bank Department at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital in Taif is among a number of the Ministry's laboratories scheduled to receive this international certificate of quality. A host of labs are currently undergoing the application of the strict CAP standards, before being evaluated by the CAP for accreditation, in the context of a comprehensive national project to raise the efficiency of the national laboratories and improve the quality of its services throughout the Kingdom.
He added that to gain the American accreditation in quality is considered a great qualitative leap in the level of services provided to patients, by improving the quality of laboratories performance and applying the special procedures and policies for patients' safety, including 12 CAP systems.
Dr. Al-Omar said that the College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves more than 17,000 physicians and laboratories throughout the world. It is the world's largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely recognized as the leader in medical laboratory quality assurance. He added, “This accreditation testifies that the laboratories carrying it provide high quality and cost-effective care, and that they meet the CAP accreditation program requirements, deemed to be the icon of excellence in this area.”
He pointed out that he is committed to getting the CAP accreditation, and to ensuring provision of the highest standards of laboratory services for all patients, doctors and the general public.
It is noteworthy that the laboratory accreditation program inspects a variety of necessary laboratory standards in medical centers, and covers a full range of specialties and testing procedures, and inspection forms are processed by teams of qualified professionals through CAP training program. The on-site inspection process is done every two years by the CAP, which reviews the relevant checklists to assess compliance with the requirements of the program.