A new satellite laboratory will bring the Aga Khan University Hospital’s (AKUH) expertise to residents of twin cities in a timely manner. The laboratory was inaugurated in a ceremony here on Tuesday.
The laboratory, one of the 12 AKUH laboratories working across the country, will decreased the test turnaround time, said Dr Farooq Ghani, the Outreach Director of AKUH Clinical Laboratories. Another 192 specimen collection units are also operating across the country.
All satellite laboratories in the country are electronically linked with the main lab in Karachi, which allows the test results to be reported as soon as they are performed. Patients can also get their reports online, added the doctor.
Situated at Saidpur Road near the Holy Family Hospital, the lab will provide as many as 200 medical tests including those of kidneys, heart, cholesterol and various forms of infections. Some tests that require special equipment and/or expertise, the specimens will be sent to Karachi, said Dr Ghani.
Responding to a question, Dr Ghani explained the higher rates of tests at the AKUH by saying they maintain international standards while testing specimens. Highly specialised equipment and pathologists with higher qualifications also add to the costs of running such an operation, he said. Moreover, test specimens are transported in containers with coolers to maintain the required temperatures, the doctor said.
He said the tests at AKUH meet the standards set by the College of American Pathology.
The 542-bed private teaching hospital was established in 1985. It currently performs more than seven million clinical laboratory tests annually, according to the AKUH website. The hospital is also the first Pakistani hospital to be awarded the US Joint Commission International Accreditation, which is given for providing the “highest international quality standards in healthcare”.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.
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