Final NRL visit to Cambodia

In January the NRL trainers revisited Battambang and Kampong Cham Hospital laboratories as a follow-up to the audits carried out in June and July 2022. Two days each were spent at both laboratories with the objective of reviewing the progress made in correcting the deficiencies that had been identified during the first visit.

At the end of the initial audit, the NRL trainers provided the laboratories with a prioritised action plan with each laboratory giving a presentation on their progress related to the plan, outlining the work that had been completed, the work that remained, and any challenges that they had encountered.  In general, both laboratories have made good progress, particularly the Battambang laboratory.

A challenge encountered by both laboratories were problems with staff capacity due to the need for staff to attend workshops and staff resignations, while maintaining an acceptable testing service. The Kampong Cham Hospital laboratory identified challenges with obtaining and validating equipment and reagents, while both laboratories acknowledged the cost challenges of engaging calibration services and participation in the EQAS program.

The quality of the worked completed by both laboratories was reveiwed along with discussing challenges and clarifying previously idendified ISO requirements. The highlight of the visit was the presentation of attendance certificates to all laboratory staff.

This visit concluded the NRL support to the SEALAB project in Cambodia. The staff of the Battambang and Kampong Cham Hospital laboratories were enthusiastic, fully engaged and committed to QMS improvement.