Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics re-certified with gold standards in accreditation

As the only laboratory in Sri Lanka accredited by internationally acclaimed bodies such as College of American Pathologists (CAP) and International Standards Organization (ISO), Lanka Hospital Diagnostics (LHD) meets the platinum standard of laboratory quality and testing.

The accredited practices uplift the range and quality of laboratory results ensuring that patients receive the most accurate and reliable diagnosis contributing to good medical care, paving the way to smooth and rapid recovery. 

CAP is accepted worldwide as the gold standard of laboratory accreditation. To secure this, LHD enrolled in Proficiency Testing (PT) since 2015. It is a program where results of LHD are compared with over 3,000 CAP-accredited laboratories all over the world which receive the same samples sent by CAP throughout the year. This program covers the entire range of LHD’s test menu. The accreditation status is renewed biannually. Annual self-inspections are carried out and the outcome is scrutinised by CAP closely. LHD is proud to have secured the re-accredited status in 2019 by CAP.

The Proficiency Test (PT) platform first seeks to evaluate whether improvements and corrective measures have been taken during the past two years, for the areas that deviated from current standards. Such corrective action may range from sourcing of raw material, methods of storage, temperature control, to improve the accuracy of reports for patients. CAP has a specified list of requirements that 20,000 quality laboratories complies with, around the world participating in the accreditation program. The facility and the quality of staff are also closely monitored in the re-accreditation process. 

Due to the said requirements, LHD technical staff members possess a recognised university degree, diploma or postgraduate qualification at the entry level, which truly differentiates the laboratory service provider from its peers in the industry. They are enrolled in relevant training schedules from the time of recruitment. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities thus are a part of the re-accreditation program across the board.

“We are truly honoured to have secured the first re-accreditation endeavour after a lengthy process of on-site inspection by the best of experts around the world,” stated LHD Head of Laboratories Dr. Geethani Galagoda. “We owe this recognition to the fact that we have maintained the highest standards with our 24-hour service operating with five full-time consultants supported by excellent processes, staff and policies of high standard,” she further added.

“Patients are our number one priority and we equip our laboratories with the knowledge, skills and resources to remain current and relevant in an evolving healthcare landscape. We are changing lives by presenting patients with the answers they need to guide their care,” said LHD Chief Executive Officer Pradeep Edward. Adding further, “Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics is now able to match the standards of the best laboratories in the world for its accuracy and quality in laboratory test results.”

For many years, LHD has heavily invested in numerous ways to improve the quality of their testing and continues to expand its investment goals to the betterment of patient testing procedures, which is complemented by the gold standards of accreditation, accuracy, timeliness and customer-friendliness.

Poor quality and delays in producing lab reports at any stage of care, poses detrimental effects on patients who are at risk of being treated erroneously. The Quality Department at LHD relentlessly pursues lapses identified internally and those received as complaints by analysing root causes and developing immediate effective corrective actions. 

Accreditation by one of the world’s best institutions such as the CAP has given LHD its reigning position in testing accurately, contributing to improving the quality of healthcare in Sri Lanka.