Director: Dr. Muhanna Al Muslahi, Head of Haematology & Blood Transfusion
Dy. Director: Dr. Amina Al Jardani, Head of Microbiology
This department offers clinical biochemistry tests in the following areas: routine clinical chemistry, cardiac markers, endocrine and immunoassays, tumor markers, therapeutic drug monitoring, protein chemistry and various miscellaneous tests. The current workload is about 1,250,000 tests per year.
The major areas include: routine hematology testing, specialized hematology tests, coagulation profiling, apheresis, and blood transfusion work-up. About 900,000 tests are performed per year. This laboratory works closely with the Ministry of Health Central Blood Bank for indenting and cross-matching of blood supplied to patients.
The Histopathology Department renders diagnostic services, by light microscopy, for all kinds of pathological material, to many Ministry of Health hospitals in Oman. The annual turnover is about 12,000 histopathology requests pertaining to surgical and endoscopic tissue, 50 frozen sections and 5,000 cytology requests relating to cervical smears, fluids and fine needle aspiration material.
About 500 patient specimens are examined daily for direct evidence of infection using microscopy and culture or by indirect evidence such as detection of antigens or antibodies. The department also monitors antibiotic use in the Hospital and provides consultation to the ICU and Clinicians on the appropriate antibiotic of choice given the specific clinical situation. Infection control policies have been put in place, and there is an intensive surveillance program to detect and investigate every incident of cross-infection. Nosocomial infection rates are continuously monitored and prompt action is taken to control outbreaks.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The fully automated analyzers are interfaced to the Hospital’s main computer system to ensure quality control checks and accurate download of results directly to the patient’s electronic medical record. Besides internal quality control programs, each of the laboratories participates in the QA programs run by recognized external QA programs including the WHO, and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia.
TRAINING
The Radiology and Laboratories Departments provide training to Residents of the Oman Medical Specialty Board. The Laboratory has been approved by the UK Royal College of Pathologists as a training center for the membership examination.
