Tina Sharma, the head of the trailblazing team which led the private medical diagnostic field through the Covid-19 pandemic – and now pioneers precision testing through genomics – talks about C-Lab’s strengths and vision.
Walk us through C-Lab.
With over 80 years of combined experience in the field, C-Lab constantly reinvents itself through state-of-the-art equipment and through constant training of its people to achieve their vision of being the leading and the benchmark medical laboratory in the region.
What makes C-Lab stand out?
With quality in our DNA, passion for pathology and constant innovation, our team works towards offering a wide range of tests and screenings for the Mauritian population. From routine blood tests to PCR tests, comprehensive newborn screenings and advanced genetic testing through next generation sequencing technology (for early detection of cancerous mutations in breasts and other organs), 99% of our tests are processed in-house. Furthermore, C-Lab is the only laboratory in Mauritius to be accredited by SAGE UK and officially licensed to perform genetic NIPT tests. We ensure the highest level of accuracy and thus help clinicians towards the right diagnosis. In the rare likelihood of error, our process of “Plan, Do, Check, Act” (PDCA Cycle) ensures that necessary processes are implemented. This protocol demonstrates our commitment to deliver reliable test results to our patients and doctors.
How does performing more tests in house benefit the patients?
The reason for us to do more in-house tests is because we understand the anxiety of people having to wait for long periods to obtain their results when sending samples overseas. By performing these tests locally, there is a significant decrease in the time for patients to obtain their results. Our teams work round the clock to deliver results as promptly as possible. This not only helps patients, but also their treating doctors in getting to the right diagnosis and hence start the appropriate treatment.
So what’s next?
The diagnostic field is not only about skills and processes but also requires constant innovation as well as continuous training of our staff. Our team of over 80 qualified laboratory professionals have therefore worked to ensure that the quality standard is being maintained through best practices, quality control and internal audits. These skill-sets allowed us to create an onboarding training program for all new members, as well as refresher trainings for the team to ensure that all staff members follow the international best practices for medical laboratories. Using our technical know-how and experience from Mauritius, we have successfully set up 19 labs across Uganda. We would like to continue this journey of providing reliable medical diagnosis in Mauritius and throughout the region guided by our constant endeavour to keep improving to deliver a reliable service.
