– Regional Lab Manager

CLINICAL laboratorians, said to be the “unseen heroes” in a hospital setting – aiding doctors and nurses in the background with diagnosis – usually get a chance to raise awareness about the work they do during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.

Observed annually to highlight and show appreciation for laboratory professionals, the week this year began on April 23 and concluded yesterday under the theme, “The Future is Lab.” The theme sought to create awareness and excitement about working in a laboratory setting.

Every day, from routine blood tests to groundbreaking genetic and molecular tests, laboratory technologists across the world do the foundational work to support screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of disease.

“Everyone knows about doctors and nurses and the roles they play, but lab technicians are usually the unseen heroes. We do the testing, make the connection with what the doctor suspects a patient might have, and we are able to confirm that diagnosis through our testing. We help the doctors to diagnose and correctly treat the patient,” Sharon Watson Rafiek, who recently earned her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science from the University of Guyana (UG), explained.

Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle, Rafiek, who has been in the field for 16 years, working in a variety of medical laboratory divisions in both public and private organisations, called attention to the importance of ‘Lab Week.’ “It brings awareness of who we are and what we do,” she said.

At several hospitals and testing sites, many youngsters who have just graduated and entered the system are the ones who usually do testing. Rafiek, who is the Regional Laboratory Manager with responsibility for all the labs in Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), has put to rest concerns that those young professionals may not be truly up to speed with what is required for an accurate diagnosis.

According to her, the Medical Laboratory Professionals Programme that is done through the Ministry of Health features seasoned health professionals who carry out the training.

“There are persons who are filtering down their knowledge to the youngsters who are now coming into the field. These youths have to pass within a particular bracket before they can be allowed to work,” she pointed out.

In addition to the training, they would be attached to several different institutions that are testing while they are still in the ‘classroom,’ so that they are able to benefit from on-the-bench experience while they are still being taught about the various aspects of the profession.

Furthermore, Rafiek called attention to the fact that the UG programme has been upgraded and brought up to the standards of overseas universities.

“So, the public should be confident in these ones testing their samples because from both sides, the Ministry and UG, they ensure that these persons don’t only have book knowledge but on-the-bench experience.”

According to the standards that are used through the local body, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, it is required that results be reported and that whatever results are going out, it should bear at least two signatures – the person testing and the person overseeing the lab.

Meanwhile, Ceenarine Rampersaud is one of the few males in the profession who has been working at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) as a Medical Laboratory Technician for the past 10 years. He hails from the Island of Leguan and his passion is to return to his beautiful island to serve the people there.

Tushanaw Patrick, another lab technician, began her career as a work-study student. She’s been working as a lab professional for the past 13 years at the ‘West Dem’ hospital.

As for Melissa Thomas, she began as a volunteer at the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre in 2005 and opted to enroll in the Medical Laboratory Technician Programme in 2012. She is the supervisor of the Serology department which is responsible for detecting the presence of antibodies in the blood as a result of exposure to a foreign organism (bacteria, viruses).

Gomattie Deodat has been working as an all-around Medical Laboratory Technician at WDRH for the past eight years, while Alicia Debideen works at the Leonora Comprehensive Treatment and Diagnostic Centre as a Medical Laboratory Technician.