Public hospital gets modern TB lab
February 1, 2007
A tuberculosis (TB) laboratory which has the capacity to conduct complete testing for the disease has been commissioned at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The facility is equipped to conduct three kinds of tests for the disease: the Mantoux or skin test, which can determine whether someone has been exposed to the TB bacteria, but not if they are infected, the Smear Sputum Technology which is a microscopic examination to detect the bacteria that causes TB and the Culture Technique which identifies the bacteria.
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in a press release, said the building of a lab at the hospital is the fruit of years of hard work. He said, "Technicians had to contend with antiquated equipment" but the capabilities of the new lab will ensure that accurate diagnoses are made. Ramsammy said while the 'Smear' method is good technicians were not always able to garner specific information about the bacteria but the ability to conduct the "critical" 'Culture' test will help them to do so now. Ramsammy made these comments during a visit to the lab yesterday.
The release said about a year ago the hospital began 'Culture' testing. It also said the hospital houses a fully equipped laboratory for detecting sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea and a microbiology lab.