Know from where you get blood tested

Dimapur, Oct. 22 (EMN): The next time you seek a blood test, make sure that the establishment from where you get the test is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). The reason, according to a laboratory at the Eden Medical Centre in Dimapur, test results are ‘most accurate if they are done in a laboratory that is accredited by a national body.’ Even better, it is safe, reliable and reproducible, stated Eden Medical Centre Laboratory, which is said to be an NABL-accredited lab. The laboratory issued a note on Monday stating the information for the public. “Many a times, patients as well as doctors wonder if a test result that is obtained from a medical laboratory (commonly known as “lab”) is accurate or not. It has been found that a test result is most accurate if they are done in a laboratory that is accredited by a national body. In India, such an organization that gives accreditation is NABL.” According to the note, the NABL is an autonomous society under Quality Council of India, government of India. Laboratory accreditation is a means of determining the technical competence of laboratories to perform specific types of testing. “Test results from an accredited laboratory are safe, reliable and reproducible. Extensive evaluation of laboratory staff, instruments and documents are done during an assessment by NABL to ensure that whatever that is done and produced in the laboratory are of national and international standards. All reports as per scope generated from an NABL laboratory are also accepted all over India as well as abroad.” Eden Medical Centre has recently gained such ‘recognition’ from NABL and is the first in Nagaland to be accredited for testing in the disciplines of clinical biochemistry, clinical pathology, Hematology and Immunohematology, the note added. Editor's Note The Oct. 23 report in about said accreditation as stated by Eden Medical Centre Laboratory was published only in accordance with information provided by the centre itself. The report only phrases the EMC’s statement: ‘...is the first in Nagaland to be accredited for testing in the disciplines of clinical biochemistry, clinical pathology, hematology and immunohematology.’ The Naga Hospital Authority Kohima has since clarified that its hospital was accredited in January 2013. It was also reported by Eastern Mirror.