Overview

In collaboration with Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) and The Indonesia Health University Network (INDOHUN), the NRL Scientific Consulting and Training (SCT) team have been implementing a laboratory capacity building and strengthening program in Indonesia. 

The program focuses on strengthening the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) in primary health, district health and provincial health laboratories in 5 provinces. The goal is to improve the quality of testing in these laboratories and equip them to provide reliable diagnostic testing for both clinical diagnosis and public health surveillance purposes.  

Our Scientific Consulting and Training team held their first training workshop in Indonesia – Here’s the updates

In late January, the SCT held the first face-to-face training workshop in Yogyakarta over 5 days. The objectives were to provide an overview of laboratory QMS, focusing on its use in identifying and managing risks to the quality and accuracy of test results and outlining the principles behind the key QMS activities that form the foundation for the QMS. The team also visited some of the laboratories to gain firsthand appreciation of the scope of work, workflows, available resources, and challenges faced by the laboratories.

The workshop was attended by quality champions selected from participating laboratories; observers from the reference laboratories, Ministry of Health, and the Health Training Centre (CILOTO); and representatives from both INDOHUN and AIHSP.

The team appreciates the logistical and technical support provided by both AIHSP and INDOHUN to make the workshop a success. 

Our Scientific Consulting and Training team held their second training workshop in Indonesia – Here’s the updates

The NRL Scientific Consulting and Training (SCT) team is implementing a laboratory capacity building and strengthening program in Indonesia in collaboration with Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) and The Indonesia Health University Network (INDOHUN). The program focuses on strengthening the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) in primary health, district health and provincial health laboratories in 5 provinces. The goal is to improve the quality of testing in these laboratories and equip them to provide reliable diagnostic testing for both clinical diagnosis and public health surveillance purposes.  

In late June, the SCT held the second face-to-face training workshop in Tangerang over 3 days. The workshop was attended by quality champions selected from participating laboratories; observers from the reference laboratories, Ministry of Health (MOH), and the health training centre (Balai Besar Pelatihan Kesehatan, BBPK); and representatives from both INDOHUN and AIHSP. The training program for workshop 2 was designed to provide advanced training on topics that had been requested by participants or identified as part of previous activities. As part of the expected training outcomes participants were expected to:  

• Improve their understanding of risk assessment processes and creation of risk registers; 

• Understand how to identify opportunities for improvement and the importance of doing so; 

• Be able to use Training Checklists as part of the design and delivery of training to staff; 

• Understand the similarities and differences between good clinical laboratory practice and a QMS based on ISO 15189; 

• Improve their knowledge of the management of nonconformities, including the importance of performing root cause analysis; 

• Understand the importance of internal audits and how to plan for an internal audit; 
• Gain a better understanding of the principles of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, including the need to perform safety assessments. 

The team also held meetings with key stakeholders, including representatives from MOH, BBPK, AIHSP and INDOHUN. The team also appreciates the logistical and technical support provided by both AIHSP and INDOHUN to make the workshop and stakeholder meetings a success. 

• Providing one-off technical training or advice to troubleshoot and address specific knowledge gaps, or design and/or verify a new process or program.
• Performing capacity assessments and gap analyses to identify and inform capacity building strategies and workplans.
• Design and delivery of customised training programs including mentoring sessions aimed at addressing specific needs, priorities or challenges, at an organisational or national level.  For example, supporting the development of National External Quality Assessment Schemes or supporting an organisation to undertake the journey towards full quality accreditation.
• Delivery of train-the-trainer programs to empower selected local trainers to educate and mentor others.  
• Development of guidance documents in collaboration with partners such as the World Health Organization. 

• Quality Management Systems, including capacity development towards attaining compliance and/or accreditation to national and international standards (e.g. ISO 15189, ISO 17043 and Codes of GMP). 
• External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS), including the design and implementation of a sustainable national EQAS to quality assure testing of local laboratories; and reduce the reliance on international, expensive and inconsistent support.
• Test Kit evaluation and supporting reference laboratories to design protocols, maintain appropriate samples and assess key performance characteristics of a test kit at a given point in time; including the use of data to recommend test kits for use in-country, often as part of a regulatory framework. 
• Testing Algorithms including support to reference laboratories for the development of a national testing strategy that is appropriate for in-country context, and the design and validation of a testing algorithm through the testing of carefully characterised samples in different assay combinations. 
• Laboratory Quality Control 
• Point-of-Care Quality Assurance 
• Equipment Procurement, Validation and Maintenance 
• Biosafety and Biosecurity  
• Capacity Assessments 

We have significant experience working with Ministries of Health, international development partners, and laboratory and community-based testing personnel in a range of countries. 

(Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, India, Bhutan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Kazakhstan, Jordan, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Fiji, China, PNG,Columbia, Israel, Malaysia, Netherlands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Australia)

NRL is collaborating with the Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) and the Indonesia One Health University Network (INDOHUN) to support selected primary (or Puskesmas), district and provincial public health laboratories, in 10 districts spread out over 5 provinces (Central Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara or NTT). The collaboration will improve the quality of their testing systems through the involvement of dedicated trainees who will act as Quality Champions during a series of training and mentoring programs customised to address identified challenges faced by the laboratories. Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the aim of this collaboration is to ultimately strengthen laboratory capacity in both public health and hospital systems in the selected provinces.

AIHSP’s webpage: https://www.aihsp.or.id/

INDOHUN’s webpage: https://indohun.org/

Passionate about public health particularly in the Asia Pacific region; Sandy lived in the Philippines for 5 years and worked at WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila strengthening the capacity of diagnostic laboratories in member countries.

As Senior Scientist, Sandy supports laboratories to design and implement QA processes, such as EQAS, QC and QMS to deliver high quality infectious disease test results to patients and support healthy communities. 

Sandy has been working in the quality assurance of infectious disease testing for more than 20 years and is an expert on QA methodologies. She has worked in many countries as an international technical expert, empowering in-country colleagues in improvements in testing processes and contributing to improvements in global testing guidelines. 

Previously working in the Blood Service industry as the National Quality Manager, and as a consultant providing Quality and Regulatory training and support to countries throughout South-east Asia; Vee has extensive experience in quality management systems, GMP and regulatory affairs. Vee has also collaborated with WHO in a number of activities, including the development of guidance documents such as the guidance on centralisation of blood donation and testing. 

As a member of the Scientific, Consulting and Training Team, Vee plays a key role in the SEALAB project. This role includes the delivery of virtual and on-site training in QMS and ISO 15189 requirements to testing laboratories in Cambodia and Laos.  Additionally, on-site QMS assessments have also been carried out at the laboratories in Cambodia with the aim of supporting them towards ISO 15189 accreditation.

Innocent has extensive experience consulting and training in quality management systems, setting up laboratory services and method development and validation. 

He has previously worked as Medical Scientist and Laboratory Manager in both public and private health laboratories in Zimbabwe and Botswana where he led laboratories towards ISO 15189 accreditation. Innocent supported provincial and district health laboratories in Southern Africa on their journey towards ISO 15189 accreditation using the SLMTA training program and SLIPTA checklists through scientific consultancy, training, and mentoring.

Having also worked as an Adjunct Lecturer in Medical Laboratory Sciences at one of the Universities in Botswana; he has authored scientific research publications focusing on infectious diseases, public health, and toxicology. 

As a member of the Scientific, Consulting and Training Team, Innocent plays a key role in the SEALAB project. This role includes supporting laboratories in Cambodia and Laos through delivery of virtual and on-site training in QMS and ISO 15189 requirements to testing laboratories.