Harare — Medical laboratories should be commended for playing a pivotal role in disease diagnosis in response to the current HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria prevalence, a deputy minister has said.

Speaking at the official opening of a workshop to strengthen medical laboratory policy held in Harare yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Edwin Muguti, said medical laboratories and clinical scientists play a critical role in augmenting Government efforts to deliver quality health care services to the nation. "The fraternity of medical laboratories and clinical scientists must be applauded for playing a critical role in the diagnosis of diseases that has helped in the delivery of quality health care services to all Zimbabweans," he said.

The ministry, he said, endeavours to improve diagnosis and research in the medical fraternity with a view to developing home-grown solutions to health challenges facing Zimbabwe, especially those brought by HIV and Aids and traditional medicine. Dr Muguti said the Government recognises the role played by laboratory services hence the exercise to strengthen the services is a great step towards improving the delivery system.

"Government strives to deliver quality health care as stated in the National Health Strategy, and laboratory services and its associates provide one such critical component as they are the people who run our clinical laboratories and undertake various tests," he added. Dr Muguti said his ministry was working with the Medical Council to equip laboratory personnel with relevant skills to support the health care delivery system. "Right now, there are some tests that we are not able to do and we want to fill this gap.

"We have the expertise, but need to empower laboratory personnel by giving them skills and tools of the trade," Dr Muguti said. He said this would promote and cement evidence-based medicine whereby diseases would be scientifically confirmed beyond any doubt than just guessing.

"Guess work is subject to dangerous interpretation on patients' diseases, which might lead to negative outcomes," he said.

However, Dr Muguti said he was concerned with the high staff turnover prevalent in his ministry and was hoping that the workshop would come out with a policy that addresses staff retention, particularly as regards key personnel.

"All professionals must be reminded that if they are looking for greener pastures they should actually create greener pastures in this country. "We have all the resources required for them to be successful while in the country," he said.

He also said the ministry was facing challenges of standardisation of laboratory tests kits and equipment, which is currently being done by the Medical Laboratory Council at the special request of the ministry to assist. Director of laboratory services in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Mr Douglas Mangwanya revealed that the medical laboratory field was 60 percent understaffed. "We are 40 percent staffed and this workshop is going to tackle how best we can retain our personnel," Mr Mangwanya said.

He also disclosed that medical laboratories had received financing from the Global Fund round five to equip 22 districts with new laboratory machines.