A Guide to Equipping and Preparing Your Pathology Lab

• Posted by Thomas Kholer July 2, 2021 - Filed in Business - #laboratory equipment in South Africa  - 953 views

  Pathology is an essential part of the medical field because more than 70% of treatment decisions are made as a result of the pathological results. Therefore, it is important that, when opening a pathology lab, you ensure you have all the necessary equipment, tools, etc. There are several considerations to keep top of mind and steps to follow, such as where you source the laboratory equipment in South Africa, the employees you hire, licensing and registration, etc. for the pathology items. (Information source: https://mac-care.africa/about-us/)

  These are the steps you should take to start your pathology lab:

  • Plan in advance: Plan in advance because you need time to consider and reconsider your options and their aftermaths before executing any decision. This way, financial losses can be kept to a minimum. If you are already a working person, take some time off and put the time into doing adequate planning for your laboratory. Some of the considerations and factors that need to be planned include capital, location, the equipment required, and interior ambience of the lab.
  • Prepare sufficient capital: Several costs are involved in setting up a pathology lab. For starters, you need to either purchase or rent a property for housing the lab. Next is the equipment that is the backbone of all services. Finally, you need to hire employees, which involves the costs such as overheads and salary expenses. Of course, anticipating the required funds accurately is not possible. However, you need to ensure you have as close an estimation as possible to ensure that enough capital is on-hand.
  • Purchase lab equipment: If you want to run a pathology centre, then you need the right medical equipment. You need to make a list of the equipment needed, including body storage racking, body trays, scissor trolley jacks, ventilated autopsy tables, ventilated dissection tables, ventilated specimen tables, and water operated autopsy tables, to name a few. Make sure that you purchase the items from one of the several renowned laboratory equipment manufacturers in South Africa, as the quality of the equipment will determine the quality of the service you provide. Additionally, the accuracy and speed of the service provided will also depend on the equipment.
  • Get dedicated employees: A pathology laboratory requires highly qualified and trained staff members and employees. You need to ensure that enough staff members have been employed to offer an efficient service. There are also several other staff members that need to be considered, such as administrative staff, HR, finance team, and housekeeping personnel.
  • Get license and registration: Once you have finalised the above-mentioned points, the next step in getting the appropriate licensing for the business. According to the law, there are various licenses for different businesses. In terms of the medical industry, there are various licenses available, depending on what the main practice will be at the laboratory. Therefore, ensure you apply for the correct one.

  If you are ready to start a pathology lab, contact laboratory equipment manufacturers in South Africa for everything you need.