Hemas Hospital laboratory accredited with ISO 15189 certification

Hemas Hospitals - Sri Lanka’s first internationally accredited hospital chain - has achieved yet another milestone by obtaining the prestigious ISO 15189 certification which is specifically aimed at standardizing the quality and competence of clinical laboratories around the world. ISO 15189 - also known as the “Gold Standard” - is a universal seal of quality that can have a profound influence on safety, reliability and efficiency of a clinical laboratory.

Hemas Hospital Laboratory service has become a household name in the Gampaha region catering to a population of almost 2.5 million with its rapidly growing laboratory network in Ja-ela, Ragama, Gampaha, Negombo and Chilaw

Minister of Technology Research, Pavithra Wanniarachchi awarding the certificate to Dr Rohan Sugathadasa, Head of Laboratory service, Hemas Hospital, Murtaza Esufally, Chairman Hemas Hospitals, Dr Samanthi de Silva, Ms Binushi Narangoda, Linus Jeganathan look on

“With this accreditation, Hemas Hospitals assures its clients pinpoint accuracy in all investigations and the use of world class processes, equipment and the service of a highly trained dedicated team of professionals,” Dr Rohan Sugathadasa, Head of Laboratory Services said.

The functions of a medical laboratory consist essentially of analyzing biological samples for purposes of screening, diagnosis, follow up, and treatment and prevention of diseases. The aim of the laboratory is not only to provide accurate results, but also to do so within a quick turnaround time, with traceability of all laboratory procedures, a respect for ethics and to assure the safety of patients and staff alike.

In addition to setting standards for validation and interpretation of patients’ test results, a quality management system for laboratories sets standards for the requisition of the analysis, patient identification and preparation, collection, transportation, storage, processing and examination of patient samples.

Hemas Hospital has been awarded the IS0 15189 Accreditation for more than 100 routinely performed investigations to date.

The accreditation covers the fields of Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Pathology, Hematology, Microbiology and Serology. Furthermore, it is the only hospital to achieve the accreditation in microbiology for Cultures. This unique achievement has given the laboratory a superior edge over the rest of the healthcare providers in the industry.

Further, Hemas Hospital Laboratory chain was the first to introduce and implement a fully automated, diagnostic facility in Sri Lanka which uses bar-coded, Automated and Interfaced system. Also, Hemas Hospital satellite laboratory network is linked to the main laboratory at Wattala which is driven by a cutting edge IT platform.

The awarding of the ISO 15189 certificate stemmed as a result of extensive evaluation of the technical competency held by the Hemas laboratory chain, and covered many aspects such as external and internal quality assurance, equipment maintenance, and patient care. Currently the laboratory chain of Hemas Hospitals conducts a series of quality control management systems in liaison with RIQAS (UK) and National External Quality Assurance Scheme with the intention of delivering a superior service to its customers.