Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital in Mbeya,Tanzania
This spotlight was hosted by Isack Nyangi, Laboratory Quality Officer
Can you tell us about your lab and the services you provide?
A: We are a public, hospital-affiliated laboratory based at Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital in Mbeya, Tanzania. We provide services in Hematology, Biochemistry, Serology Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Pathology. Our lab performs around 400,000 tests each year.
We serve a wide patient population from the Mbeya region and five surrounding regions, including adults, children, and pregnant women. Our lab is also one of the oldest and longest accredited laboratories in the country and is known as a center of excellence for the Southern Highlands Zone.
Q: Is your lab accredited, or are you working towards accreditation?
A: Yes, we are accredited by the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS).
Q: What are the main challenges your lab faces?
A: Funding remains one of our main challenges, particularly for external quality assessment (EQA) programs and procurement. Maintaining participation in these programs is important for ensuring quality, but it can be resource-intensive.
We continue to participate in EQA programs, including Chemical Pathology through RCPAQAP, with support from partners such as Pathologists Overseas. This helps us monitor analytical performance and maintain accreditation standards, alongside support from hospital management and implementing partners.
Q: Can you share any accomplishments that you are particularly proud of?
A: We continue to improve our services to keep up with changes in technology and patient needs. One recent step has been introducing immunohistochemistry, which supports expansion in cancer-related diagnostics.
We are also proud of our internal continuous professional development (CPD) program. It is accredited by the Tanzania Health Laboratory Practitioner Council and helps ensure our staff stay current and maintain quality in their work.
Q: What drives your team?
A: What drives our team is the understanding that behind every sample there is a patient who needs timely answers.
