Faster pathology results as GPHC gains ISO 15189 accreditation

Patients accessing diagnostic services at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) can now expect significantly faster and more reliable pathology results, following the institution’s achievement of ISO 15189 Plus accreditation, a major milestone for Guyana’s public healthcare system.
The accreditation, awarded after a rigorous assessment programme with Accreditation Canada Diagnostics, is widely regarded as the gold standard for medical laboratory quality and competence. With this certification, turnaround times for pathology test results are expected to improve dramatically, reduced from months to as little as six days, enhancing timely diagnosis and treatment for patients.
The ISO 15189 accreditation formally recognises that GPHC’s pathology laboratory meets international standards for quality management, technical competence, and patient safety, placing it among a select group of accredited laboratories globally.
Speaking at the accreditation ceremony on Wednesday, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony hailed the achievement as a clear signal of the direction in which Guyana’s health sector is heading.
“We have already done an assessment of a lot of the places where we do pathology and across the country. And we will be introducing new services for pathology, including putting in electronic systems where we’ll be able to process these samples… We are also putting in a new forensic lab that would also be like a teaching lab for the rest of the Caribbean. And work has already started on that as well,” Dr Anthony said.

The Health Minister underscored that accreditation is not an endpoint but part of a broader transformation of diagnostic services nationwide. He revealed that the Ministry is already testing advanced technologies to further enhance efficiency, including artificial intelligence applications in medical imaging.
He noted that such tools significantly improve productivity and could soon be integrated into pathology services as well.
“We’re testing an AI system at the Enmore Regional Hospital. This one deals specifically with interpretation of x-rays and CT scan. And last week, I was there when they were doing some of the tests, and a scan comes in, and within maybe 15 seconds, it is able to give you an interpretation. And you can determine whether it’s a normal x-ray or an abnormal one. And if it’s an abnormal one, then what is there? And it tells you all the specs – like size, dimension, a whole host of things – and give you a preliminary diagnosis. And that is done in seconds, and it will give you a very comprehensive report as well. So these things are helpful tools,” he added.
Dr Anthony extended special commendation to the GPHC pathology team and its leadership for achieving the internationally recognised accreditation. He also praised the role of laboratory leadership in the achievement, noting the experience brought back into the public system.
“I want to extend my profound congratulations to the pathology team and the larger GPHC team,” he said. “What we have to do now is maintain what we’ve accomplished here and even go for further validation.”