Aligned with its commitment to drive high-quality practices that improve patient safety in India, BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.) and Dr Lal PathLabs recently inaugurated the Centre of Excellence in Phlebotomy (blood collection, sampling).

This landmark initiative will provide certified phlebotomy courses to healthcare professionals, laboratory technicians, assistants and nurses, and support them in driving best practices in preanalytical processes for accurate and reliable diagnosis. BD also conducts workshops on phlebotomy based on good laboratory practices that are endorsed by the Association of Clinical Biochemists of India (ACBI), an organization that is at the forefront of constantly improving practices in laboratory medicine.

BD will impart intensive training on fundamental principles of safe blood collection; specimen handling and sample preparation that will help develop the critical capacity of maintaining first-rate specimen quality and protect the safety of patients and medical staff. This new initiative will strengthen laboratory services by improving the quality of patient specimens and reducing incidence of preanalytical errors, thereby improving safety for both patients and healthcare workers. It is estimated that 70-85 percent of clinical decisions are based upon information derived from laboratory test results.

"There are over 50,000 clinical laboratories in India and the number is increasing every year. Studies have indicated that nearly 68% of all errors in laboratory testing are associated with the pre-analytical phase - phlebotomy (blood collection) being a major component of this phase. There is immense potential to enhance the skills of laboratory technicians in line with the growing healthcare needs of the Indian population. With this Center of Excellence, BD will continue its commitment toward sharing knowledge and enhancing clinical practices in creating sustainable improvements in healthcare," said Mr Varun Khanna, managing director, BD - India.

"Speaking on the occasion, Brig. Dr Arvind Lal, chairman and managing director, Dr Lal PathLabs said, "I am delighted to state that we introduced the BD manufactured Vacutainers for the first time in India in 1989. They have since then become an integral part of thousands of labs all over India and have added immensely to the high quality standards that prevail in our labs. This initiative to provide training for laboratory staff and clinicians will help in the long term for India's healthcare."