SKMC celebrates the First Medical Laboratory Professionals Week in UAE

This celebration provides the profession with a unique opportunity to increase public understanding of and appreciation for, clinical laboratory professionals.

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week has been successful in increasing the recognition of clinical laboratory science among the healthcare community and general public.

In this 33rd celebration world wide, it is important to reflect on the important history of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (NMLPW).

NMLPW originated in 1975, as NMLW, under the auspices of the American Society for Medical Technology, now called the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS).

In subsequent years, other organizations have served as cosponsors and campaign supporters. In the fall of 2005, National Medical Laboratory Week was changed to National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week to emphasize the person whose expertise is needed in the performance of laboratory testing.

With the public now demanding the assurance of quality health care and professional accountability, organizations representing practitioners of this critical science have a responsibility to ensure that the public is well informed about clinical laboratory competency.

Beyond meeting this public need, the celebration of NMLPW will help increase recognition for the profession as it improves the individual practitioner's sense of self-worth.

Further, as the various professional groups within laboratory practice work together on this project, the sense of unity and purpose necessary to further the goals of all laboratorians are reinforced.

Dr. Laila Abdul Wareth, Chair of Laboratory Medicine at SKMC "there are approximately 150 practitioners of clinical laboratory science in SKMC. It is worth to mention that the clinical laboratory science professional has played an increasingly vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease. Today, the clinical laboratorian is a key member of the health care team".

"We are very proud to be the first health organization to celebrate the Lab Professional Week in the UAE. Our goal and objective is to highlight the important role of the lab profession in health organization. Therefore, we will be arranging for tours on the Laboratory main tower of SKMC twice a day for the public. We encourage them to come and see what happens inside our Labs, to let them meet the staff who work on several kinds of lab tests and to check the automated system we are using as well as the state of the art equipment. In addition to these tours, we are arranging for educational sessions for our staff to educate them on our role in health organizations," Dr Laila added. "Thru this announcement, I would like to invite the public, families, Laboratory students and all interested individuals to come and visit our Laboratory main tower located in Sheikh Khalifa Surgical Pavilion - first floor anytime between 10:00 - 11:00 am from Sunday 25 May throughout Thursday 29 May, 2008."