Microsoft Word 02Preface doc

NMIMR / NPHRL 
Peripheral Laboratory 
Quasi Govt. Laboratory 
Peripheral Laboratory 
District Hospital Laboratory
Peripheral Laboratory 
Private Hospital Laboratory 
Intermediate Laboratory 
Regional Hospital Laboratory (10) 
Regional Public Health Laboratory (3)

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Table 4.11    Number of Trainees in ICTP on TB Control   
Title Period 
No. 
of 
participants 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on TB microscopy 
10-14 Sept. 
2001 
14 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from Upper-West, Upper-East, 
Northern Centers, including 1 from a private 
laboratory in the Greater Accra Region. 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on TB microscopy 
24-28 Sept. 
2001 
11 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from the Brong-Ahafo and 
Ashanti regions and 1 from a private 
laboratory in the Greater Accra Region. 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on TB microscopy 
21-25 Jan. 
2002 
14 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from the Volta, Western, and 
Central regions 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on TB microscopy 
18-22 Feb. 
2002 
16 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from the Eastern, Greater 
Accra, and Ashanti regions 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on quality assurance in TB 
microscopy 
6-15 Jan. 
2003 
13 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from the Eastern, Greater 
Accra, Upper-East and Upper-West regions
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on quality assurance in TB 
microscopy 
1-10 Feb. 
2003 
13 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from Volta, Western and 
Brong-Ahafo regions and four staff of the 
bacteriology unit of NMIMR 
Middle-level manpower-training 
program on quality assurance in TB 
microscopy 
7-16 April 
2003 
13 
Laboratory personnel and regional TB 
coordinators from the Ashanti, Northern and 
Central regions and three new staff of the 
bacteriology unit of the NMIMR and a new 
private sector coordinator of the NTP. 
Source:  NMIMR (2003), National Training Course Tuberculosis Microscopy Final report 
 
The specific objectives of the training on TB microscopy were to strengthen the skills 
for sputum smear examinations at various levels of laboratory personnel in the 
country, to impart the necessary techniques in biosafety in TB microscopy and to 
introduce a system of quality assurance (QA) in order to strengthen the microscopy 
network in the country.    This training was conducted as a part of the MOH in-service 
training.   
The specific objectives of the training on quality assurance in TB microscopy were to 
introduce the concept of QA into TB microscopy centres in the country, to impart the 
necessary techniques to laboratory personnel and regional TB coordinators in order to 
strengthen regional capacity 
Both training courses targeted technicians and TB coordinators at the regional level, 
and trained 94 persons between 2001 and 2004.  These regional technicians held 
training courses for district technicians with the assistance of the NMIMR.  About 
250 district technicians were trained by the regional technicians who had been trained 
by the NMIMR. 

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Thus, the NMIMR has contributed to improving the capabilities of the TB microscopy 
centers and also provided accurate TB diagnosis for other nations by introducing EQA 
into public microscopy centers.