Handbook on laboratory practices launched

Islamabad : Intended to serve as an informational guide for clinical laboratories in order to improve the health of people and animals in Pakistan in line with the concept of ‘One Health,’ the first edition of a comprehensive laboratory handbook on clinical practices was launched here Monday.

A joint initiative of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), USA, the handbook is titled ‘Good Clinical Laboratory Practices in Pakistan,’ and has been authored by Pakistani laboratory experts from various specialties in collaboration with their US counterparts. Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Abu Ahmed Akif was the chief guest of the event. He appreciated the work of the authors.

The handbook has been written in simple format, especially for laboratory technical staff working in public, private and university/academic laboratories across Pakistan. It has discrete sections focusing on laboratory management, biosafety, laboratory operations and quality management systems.

The Executive Director of the National Institute of Pakistan (NIH) Prof. Dr. Aamer Ikram and Dr. Dave Franz led the effort from the Pakistan PAS and US NASEM sides, respectively.