Effected of Status of Laboratory Services Quality and Capacity in Primary Healthcare Facilities in Makah City, Saudi Arabia 2022

Abstract

Background: Accurate disease diagnosis relies on a well-organized and reliable laboratory system. This study assesses the quality of laboratory services in Saudi Arabia. In the past two decades (2000–2020), Saudi Arabia has made significant efforts to strengthen its health system as part of the then health sector reforms, coupled with interventions for health system strengthening following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. The efforts included the construction and rehabilitation of health infrastructure at all levels of health services delivery, procurement of equipment, and capacity building of health personnel. The efforts have enabled improvement in diagnostic availability in the primary health care (PHC) facilities. For example, a recent analysis has shown that diagnostic availability in dispensaries and health centres in Saudi Arabia, have increased by 6 percentage points. An integral part of this service is the laboratory services. While government Hospitals performances are focused its laboratory service has been neglected in developing countries.  A routine checkup is a general physical evaluation and is not performed for a specific injury, illness or condition. Aim of the study: To assesses the effected of Status of laboratory services quality and capacity in primary healthcare facilities in Makah City, Saudi Arabia 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on laboratory services on primary healthcare in Makah at Saudi Arabia. The study employed a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from patients attending to primary healthcare in Makah city. Results: most of the participants (32.0%) were in the age group 50-60 years, majority of them were males (54.0%) also regarding Nationality the majority of participant are Saudi were (72.0%), regarding the Marital state the majority of participant married were (72.0%), regarding Employment status the majority of participant are Employed were(68.0%) . Conclusion The laboratory services quality and capacity in the PHC facilities is still low in Saudi Arabia, characterized by a critical shortage of qualified laboratory personnel especially in public facilities that are based in rural areas. There is a need to further strengthen laboratory services in PHC facilities to ensure quality of laboratory test results generated since even in the laboratories that were found to be working, more than half did not conduct Internal Quality control and or participating in External Quality Assessment.