The Tanzania Medical Laboratory Students’ Association of Kampala International University in Tanzania (TAMELASA-KIUT) conducted a study tour to the National Public Health Laboratory on Friday, 20th of January 2023.
Received and welcomed by the laboratory manager, Mr. Embele, the team was given a tour around the facility departments in groups, to be shown multiple facets of the medical laboratory sciences profession, especially testing and diagnosis techniques. The team walked through the departments of specimen collection, hematology and blood transfusion, microbiology and parasitology, chemistry, and molecular biology.
After the tour, the student groups were later placed in a seminar room for collective discussions about the facilities, given the chance to inquire more about their experiences during the tour and learn about the history of the government facility, including its journey into being the center for Covid-19 sample collection and diagnosis in the country.
Mr. Mussa Mwamkoa, a staff member from KIUT and supervisor of the 150 students who attended the tour gave positive sentiments about the tour and their overall experience, especially knowing that the medical laboratory profession is greatly performed in the facility.
“The tour was very educational, and we appreciate the management of NPHL for being very accommodating, giving our students ample time and flexibility to extensively learn,” said Mr. Mwamkoa.
“We do have laboratories and other practical supportive facilities at our campus but coming here and getting a glimpse on how the profession works after school helps students to prepare and make early adjustments on what is to come,” adds Mr. Mwamkoa.
The TAMELASA-KIUT chairperson, Mr. Ally Masudi, for his part acknowledged the tour was very insightful and stressed the importance of doing multiple tours to such facilities to further strengthen their professional skills.
“Such tours are very important and going to multiple facilities from time to time is another way we can strengthen our medical laboratory knowledge and skills,” said Mr. Masudi.
The National Public Health Laboratory is a national reference laboratory for diagnostic and public health services aimed, among others, to address the diagnostic needs of the nation from emerging and re-emerging diseases. The facility is also responsible for facilitating surveillance and outbreak response, training, and facilitation, as well as equipment services and calibrations.
The national facility’s vision is to develop the laboratory as a center of excellence in diagnosis by providing quality diagnostic and public health-related services to the people through central, regional, sub-regional, zonal, and public health center laboratories.
