Pathology Lab, Port Of Spain General Hospital, Trinidad And Tobago
1. What was the hardest thing to do in order to get accredited?
- To get management and staff commitment on board with the accreditation initiatives.
2. What was the easiest?
- Creating the supporting documents required for implementation of management system.
3. What was the most important contributing factor to getting accredited?
- 24/7 support from GLESSN, the CDC/PEPFAR Implementing partner, in finding solutions to obstacles, active mentorship and procurement of critical resources which were unavailable to the lab.
4. What steps did you take?
- Development of the Quality department inclusive of crucial roles of Lab. Quality Coordinator, Lab. Safety Officer and Lab. Equipment Officer and their deputies.
- Request from the Ministry of Labor staff from the On-the-Job training program. These dedicated staff that were assigned assisted the core members of the Quality department with data collection, preparation of draft reports etc.
- Ensure that data and records were in place to facilitate management review meetings.
5. What were the biggest mistakes you made?
- Not making attendance at meetings and training sessions mandatory.
6. What is the best advice you can give to others?
- Implementation of the management system in phases and not do everything all at once. Avoid waiting too long for applying for Accreditation to avoid personnel, document and even ISO Standard changes.