Medical Laboratory Assistants' Course Curriculum

Abstract

JUSTIFICATION According the recent policy changes in the Health Sector a Laboratory Assistant is an important cadre for the provision of laboratory services in Uganda. The traditional services offered by Laboratory Assistants included the examination of blood slides for haemoparasites, direct stool microscopy, examination of urine for deposits, protein and sugar, examination of sputum and skin snips for AAFBS and leprosy and haemoglobin estimation. At the Health Centre III, these services have been expanded to include confirmation of diseases caused by haemoparasites, screening for STDs and HIV infections, confirmation of TB and leprosy, confirmation of helmiths, presumptive diagnosis of diseases, potential epidemic, screening of anaemia, disease surveillance and counseling. The development of this curriculum is therefore pertinet and timely for effective training of a competent health cadre. Prof. Owor's recommendation (quote year) to stop the training of laboratory Assistants was no longer justified because of the decentralization policy, the new Health Care Policies emphasizing Primary Health Care (PHC) and the emergency of new diseases all of which demand an increase in laboratory services. In 1979 (not sure) government phased out laboratory attendants by subjecting all those present to a once for all examination to become Laboratory Assistants. Since then, NGO hospitals have been responsible for the training of Laboratory Assistants. However, it has been noted that the training has not been uniform. Each school trains students according to the capacity of the "tutors" to interpret the syllabus. The lack of a unifying curriculum has made some (unscrupulous) people with the least ability to train to take advantage of a desperate situation and solicit funds in form of fees for training from the less informed public. The Ministry of Education & Sports and Ministry of Health have jointly come up with this new curriculum to bridge the gap in order to harmonise the training of a medical laboratory assistant in this country. It will help to prepare a cadre of health worker with knowledge, attitudes and skills to provide quality laboratory services in the expanded health sector. This will enhance the implementation of Minimum Health Care Package to patients/clients at HC II, III, IV and/or hospitals.