As a retired, but still very proud, medical technologist, I was outraged when I heard news reports on April 28, quoting Dr Marion Bullock-Ducasse from the Ministry of Health, as saying that all tests for suspected swine flu would have to be sent to Trinidad. I was outraged because I know for a fact that our technologists are on par with the best in the world.
Members of this professional group do not make a lot of noise, but instead go about their duties with the sure and certain knowledge that, as their motto says, 'We save lives by our skills'. Ours is the awesome responsibility for delivering timely and accurate results in the laboratory. Unfortunately for us, successive governments of various stripes have failed to put health and education on the front burner.
Tools not available
As a consequence, the tools needed for us to perform at the optimum level are often not available. However, we continue to work diligently in accordance with our code of ethics and always in the best interest of our patients who (unknowingly for the most part) rely so heavily on our skills to get results.
The professional entry level for medical technologists is at the diploma level, but there is a good percentage who have not just first degrees, but post-graduate degrees to the doctoral level.
It is ironic that not so long ago the pathology department at the UWI had the only laboratory in the English-speaking Caribbean offering a certain level of genetic testing. Patients requiring those 'cutting edge' services came from across the Caribbean - Trinidad, Barbados, The Bahamas, St Lucia, etc., and as far south as Guyana and Suriname. A number of patients even came from the US. Unfortunately, the brick wall called "No Funds" halted any further forward movement in this area of genetics.
Our technologists continually upgrade themselves through continuing education seminars which are essential for their re-registration each year.
My fervent hope is that soon our leaders will put the kind of emphasis and resources in the areas of health/science and education that will allow us to realise our full potential.
I am, etc.,
SONIA KING
avao2005@yahoo.com