Grenadian Medical Testing Lab Achieves JANAAC Accreditation
Key Points(5)
- The Spice Isle Imaging Centre Inc Laboratory has made history as the first and only medical testing lab in Grenada to achieve accreditation from JANAAC Global Accreditation to the ISO 15189:2012 standard.
- This certification pertains to medical testing in haematology and transfusion medicine.
- The ISO 15189:2012 standard outlines the requirements for quality and competence in medical laboratories.
- Accreditation to this standard confirms a laboratory's ability to deliver reliable diagnostic testing, ensuring they meet the health and social service needs of various stakeholders, including patients and the clinical personnel responsible for their care.
- This accreditation underscores the laboratory's commitment to maintaining high standards in diagnostic services, enhancing trust and confidence in the healthcare system.
The Spice Isle Imaging Centre Inc Laboratory has made history as the first and only medical testing lab in Grenada to achieve accreditation from JANAAC Global Accreditation to the ISO 15189:2012 standard. This certification pertains to medical testing in haematology and transfusion medicine.
The ISO 15189:2012 standard outlines the requirements for quality and competence in medical laboratories. Accreditation to this standard confirms a laboratory's ability to deliver reliable diagnostic testing, ensuring they meet the health and social service needs of various stakeholders, including patients and the clinical personnel responsible for their care. This accreditation underscores the laboratory's commitment to maintaining high standards in diagnostic services, enhancing trust and confidence in the healthcare system.
Chief Executive Officer of JANAAC Global Accreditation, Sharonmae Walker, in her remarks, said that achieving ISO15189:2012 certification is a major achievement for a Caribbean country.
“The medical testing standard is key because it impacts all of us in our daily lives health and wellness … . It is very important for JANAAC in Jamaica to support Grenada as you, too, stand tall with the rest of the accredited assessment bodies globally who can declare that your results can be trusted,” she said.
“Your results can be used by your citizens wherever they go in the world … . Accreditation assures the integrity, the transparency, and quality that facilitates the acceptance of goods and services within your country, but best of all, globally,” she added.
Addressing the official virtual Accreditation Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday, October 23, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill said the achievement exemplifies JANAAC’s commitment to partnering with medical institutions to foster a reliable healthcare system across the Caribbean.
Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, in his address, noted that the achievement is not only a win for Spice Isle Imaging, but also for the country’s entire healthcare system.
“It opens the door to better diagnosis, improved patient care, and stronger public confidence in our health services. With this accreditation, we can now engage in regional and international partnerships that will benefit Grenada’s healthcare sector and allow us to stand shoulder to shoulder with other nations in the region, proud of the quality of care that we provide,” he said.
He noted that the accreditation ensures that the results delivered by the laboratory are of the highest quality and can be trusted by healthcare providers and patients alike.
Mitchell commended JANAAC, noting that the entity’s partnership with Grenada “represents a shared vision of health equity, transparency and integrity in medical testing and certainly aligns with our vision in Grenada to improve, to the highest international standard, the country’s healthcare system,” he said.
JANAAC (Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation) provides accreditation services to 77 conformity assessment bodies across 11 countries in CARICOM, including laboratories, inspection, and certification services. It is the only internationally recognized accreditation body in the English-speaking Caribbean, holding full membership and executive representation on the International Laboratory Cooperation and the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation Executive Committees. Additionally, JANAAC is the sole accreditation body with 10 out of 11 scopes recognized by the United States Food and Drug Administration under its accredited third-party certification program, highlighting its commitment to maintaining high standards in various sectors.
