Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has made notable strides in improving the quality of laboratory services over the years, but some patients continue to face challenges linked to incorrect diagnoses, which can delay treatment and increase health risks.
Some patients and families reported having to spend large sums seeking a proper diagnosis after their loved ones’ conditions failed to improve.
The government has acknowledged that the country faced significant problems with laboratory service quality around 2008 and earlier.
Weak testing systems, poor quality management, and the lack of reliable mechanisms to detect and correct errors led to widespread complaints about inaccurate results.
A pathology expert has highlighted the need for private hospitals to invest more in specialised doctors capable of accurately diagnosing patients, rather than relying solely on general practitioners.
To address the problem, the Ministry of Health joined the World Health Organization (WHO) programme known as Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) in 2009.
As of October this year, the situation has improved, with several laboratories achieving international accreditation after being strengthened to meet global quality standards.
According to the Director of Diagnostic Services from the Ministry of Health, Dr Alex Magesa, the government continues to strengthen the supervision and management of diagnostic services.
New guidelines have been developed to enhance laboratory testing, radiology services, and blood safety in both public and private hospitals.
“Tanzania faced significant problems with the quality of laboratory services in the years around 2008 and earlier. Weak testing systems, poor quality management, and the absence of reliable mechanisms to detect and correct errors led to widespread complaints about inaccurate results,” he said.
Since then, the Ministry and the Regional Administration and Local Government (RALG) have been enrolling laboratories across the country in the SLMTA programme each year.
“Additionally, laboratories in all 184 district hospitals have been enrolled in the programme, while improvements are now being extended to health centres and dispensary laboratories,” Dr Magesa said.
A pathologist at Kampala International University in Tanzania, Dr Praxeda Ogweyo, told The Citizen that some hospitals rely solely on general doctors, who may prescribe broad laboratory tests after listening to a patient’s symptoms. The results of such tests may fail to detect the patient’s actual condition.
“For example, at Muhimbili, when a patient explains their symptoms, a general doctor will know exactly where to refer them so they can see a specialist.
I am a specialist in examining tissue samples and diagnosing conditions in patients with tumours. Investment in specialised doctors is vital,” she said.
Dr Ogweyo explained that limited investment in specialist doctors contributes to patients receiving general or inconclusive results.
Consequently, conditions often progress silently, and by the time patients reach referral hospitals, diseases such as cancer may have reached an advanced stage.
Sharing his experience, a resident of Mabibo, Mr Oswald Mzava said he recently encountered such challenges. He was admitted to a private hospital where initial tests suggested a blood infection.
However, his condition did not improve despite treatment. After days of deteriorating health, his family transferred him to Dar es Salaam for further tests.
“The diagnosis revealed that I actually had severe malaria. The supposed blood infection had not been detected.
As a result, the treatment had to start all over again, and I spent another three days admitted,” he said.
Mr Mzava believes he survived because he could afford additional treatment in a bigger city. “I managed to do so because I had money; otherwise, I could have died receiving the wrong treatment.
The private sector and government should invest more in proper diagnostic services so results are accurate and consistent,” he added.
Another patient, who asked not to be named, shared a similar ordeal, saying his wife nearly lost her life due to inaccurate test results. “We were treated for a disease she did not have and spent a lot of money on unnecessary medication.
When we sought help at a referral hospital, the results were completely different,” he said.
He said that the conflicting diagnoses caused anxiety and mistrust. “We had already treated a condition that didn’t exist, and we were not sure whether the new diagnosis was accurate. Fortunately, after a few days of proper treatment, she recovered,” he noted.
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