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Public
health care services in developing countries operate under constraints of limited
resources, high demands and competing health problems. Furthermore, we often find unequal allocation of resources between
different levels of facilities, workforce categories and various
departments.
This
particularly affects primary health care (PHC) laboratory services. Often, central laboratories receive the lion’s share of financial
support or funds are directed towards disease-specific programmes. Staff training is insufficient and few unifying professional
organisations exist. Particularly
at the peripheral level, laboratory units are understaffed, underutilised
and do not receive the importance they deserve. In the scenario described above,
"Quality", is an alien word.
Central
health planners have to work and operate within these given constraints.
The first step towards changing the status quo, is for central health
planners to define national objectives and display total commitment to a
quality transformation process.
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