Refresher Training for Primary Health Care Laboratory Staff

Update laboratory workers on all laboratory test methods commonly performed at a district level laboratory.  Update course participants on latest developments in quality assurance, laboratory management, health and bio-safety.

Reinforce theoretical knowledge on all important subject areas.  Provide ample opportunity to enhance practical skill related knowledge. 

Improve the quality of laboratory test results in peripheral laboratory units. 

The training programme is a two months refresher course.  The programme is divided into morning sessions with emphasis on theoretical knowledge and afternoon practical sessions on the subject covered in the morning session.  Theoretical lectures include, sample collection, storage and transportation, internal quality control procedures for each test.  Practical sessions include sample and reagent preparation.  After each major subject area one day is added for revision and discussion. 

The course starts with laboratory management, quality assurance, equipment maintenance and health safety. Parasitology includes stool parasites and blood parasites.  Haematology deals with blood morphology and covers all major test procedures done at PHC level.  Biochemistry includes details on quality assurance, calibration curves and sample plotting.  Microbiology covers simple techniques for urine, blood, sputum and skin specimens.  Serology includes information on HIV/AID, Hepatitis and universal precautions for health safety.

Synopsis of  major subject areas taught during the two months programme:

Public Health Laboratory Network (Supervision and Referral System, Sample Referral and Transportation)

Introduction to Quality Assurance Programme (IQC, EQA, QM)

Standard Operating Procedures (Use and usefulness)  

Laboratory Management (Work organisation, Record and Report Keeping, Simple Statistics, Practical Exercises)

Laboratory Management (Supply management, Stock-keeping and inventory, Practical Exercises)

Equipment Care and Maintenance (Microscope, Centrifuge, Balance, Water-bath, Colorimetre, Auto-pipette, Autoclave, Hot-air Oven, Refrigerator, Practical Exercises)

Health and Bio-safety (Introduction to Health and  Bio-safety,  Disinfection and Sterilisation, Cleaning of Glassware, Waste disposal)

Parasitology � Stool Parasites (Composition of Stool, Sample collection, Storage and transportation, Macroscopic examination, Stool examination methods, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Parasitology � Stool Parasites (Life cycle and  appearance of most common parasites)

Parasitology � Blood  Parasites (Life cycle of Parasites, Sample collection, Storage and transportation, Slide preparation, Staining methods, Internal Quality Control Procedures

Haematology (Blood function and components, Blood cells, Pathological Changes)

Haematology (Differential WBC Count, Sample collection and slide preparation, Staining methods, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Haematology (Total White Blood Cell Count, Sample collection and  storage, Blood dilution,  Neubauer Counting Chamber, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Haematology  (Haematocrit, Sample collection and storage, Wintrobe method, Microhaematocrit, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Haematology (Haemoglobin, Sample collection and storage, Sahli Method, Colorimetric Method, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Haematology (Blood Grouping,  Sample collection, storage and transportation, Principle of Cross matching, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Urine (Urinary tract and Morphology of Urine,  Sample collection, Storage and transportation, Midstream Urine, Macroscopic and Microscopic examination, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Urine - Biochemistry (Protein, Glucose, Specific Gravity, pH, Bile pigment, Urobilinogen, Pregnancy Test, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Quality Assurance (Mean, Standard Deviation,  Precision, Accuracy, Pre-Analytical Stage, Analytical Stage, Post-Analytical Stage, Sample Plotting)

 Biochemistry (Metabolism, Blood Sugar, Urea, Creatinine, Sample collection and  storage, Test Methods, Preparation of Standard Curve, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Biochemistry (Haemoglobin Colorimetric Method, Sample collection and  storage, Preparation of Standard Curve, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Microbiology - Sputum (Sputum for Acid-fast bacilli, Sample collection, storage and transportation, Ziehl Neelsen Stain, Wright Stain for WBC, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Microbiology - Urine (Urine Culture, Screening Method, Sample collection, storage and transportation, Midstream Urine, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Microbiology - Blood  (Blood culture for Salmonella typhi, Sample collection, storage and transportation, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Microbiology - Skin (Slit-skin smear for Leprosy,  Modified Ziehl Neelsen Stain, Skin scraping for Fungus, Skin scrapings for scabies, Sample collection , storage and transportation, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

Serology (Sexually transmitted diseases (HIV/AIDs, Universal Precautions,  RPR,  HIV Screening, Internal Quality Control Procedures)

The Public Health Care Laboratory - 2001 � Gabriele Mallapaty