Healthcare provider Pinecrest Healthcare Ltd has urged governments at all levels and key industry stakeholders to declare a state of emergency on Quality Assurance (QA) in Nigeria’s medical laboratories to curb diagnostic errors and safeguard patient care.
The call was made during a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, ahead of the company’s inaugural Quality Assurance Summit scheduled for October 10, 2026, at the Welcome Centre Hotel, Lagos, with virtual participation via Zoom.
The summit, themed “From Bench to Benchmark: Raising Laboratory Quality Standards for Patient Care,” coincides with Pinecrest Healthcare’s 20th anniversary and aims to address critical gaps in diagnostic accuracy, reliability, and patient safety across the nation’s healthcare ecosystem.
Speaking at the briefing, representatives emphasized that medical laboratory investigations form the bedrock of modern healthcare, directly influencing clinical diagnoses, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes.
”Every medical laboratory result represents a patient—behind every specimen is a person waiting for an answer that determines their clinical care,” the organization stated, noting that errors at any stage of the analytical pathway can lead to misdiagnoses with severe consequences for patients.
Pinecrest outlined three primary drivers of laboratory excellence—people, process, and technology—and urged healthcare facilities to move beyond viewing quality assurance as a mere regulatory checklist or periodic inspection exercise. Instead, the firm advocated for an operational culture where quality control is continuously measured and integrated into every stage of testing, from sample collection to clinical interpretation.
To achieve sustainable quality management across the country, Pinecrest called on federal and state governments to allocate targeted funding to help laboratories adopt globally accepted protocols. It also urged regulatory agencies to strictly enforce minimum quality standards across all public and private diagnostic facilities.
The upcoming hybrid summit is expected to convene medical laboratory scientists, pathologists, physicians, hospital administrators, regulatory bodies, and industry experts. Key discussions will cover proficiency testing, quality management systems, and practical strategies for transitioning from regulatory compliance to an enduring culture of quality.
