Laboratory
Photo © Basil Rolandsen (bouvetmedia.com)A well functioning laboratory is an important part of the diagnosis of what ails our many patients. We are proud of the Bairo Pite Clinic laboratory, consistantly ranking number one in the nation, delivering spot-on accuracy especially for tuberculosis (TB), leprosy and malaria.
The laboratory offers a wide variety of services, including basic hematology, urine, stool, blood group, electrolyte, liver function test, serology, pregnancy, parasitology and some chemistries. In 2009, it performed 24,693 tests, including 3,596 for TB (resulting in 220 contagious patients starting treatment), and 9,080 for malaria (finding 1,906 new patients).
It also performed 2,131 HIV rapid tests, finding 19 positives. An initiative is now underway to test all pregnant women coming to the clinic and seen on mobile clinics, in order to prevent vertical transmission to newborns.
Upgrading the laboratory is a constant and prioritised activity for Bairo Pite Clinic. Our lab mentor Peter Hind will soon put in place new technology for state-of-the-art rapid probe testing for TB, parasites, and many other infectious diseases. Still limited in scope the lab is slowly making inroads on solid evidence based diagnosis.