Medical Technologist Finds Fulfilment behind the Scenes

Chief One Medical Technologist with the National Public Health Laboratory, Andrae Cole, decided to walk in his cousin’s footsteps in pursuing a career.

The Downs, South Manchester native looked up to his cousin, Wayne Reid, a medical technologist, who at the time, was the closest family member to have pursued a tertiary-level education.

So, after completing his years at Manchester High School, a young Andrae went off to study at the University of Technology.

Today, Mr. Cole, a Medical Technologist of 17 years, is one of the outstanding healthcare workers who are being recognised during July, which has been declared Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month.

“I didn’t know much about the profession at the time. I decided to just follow in my cousin’s footsteps, and that is how I really ended up as a Medical Technologist. When I got into it, that’s when I learned more of what medical technology was about,” he recounts in an interview with JIS News.

He grew up with a healthy interest in science, and so the choice of career satisfied him immensely.

“It’s straight up my alley. I like experimenting, and medical technology is mostly experimenting and conducting analyses,” he says.

A medical technologist is a highly skilled health professional who tests and analyses blood, other body fluids and tissue samples to help doctors diagnose and treat diseases. Having observed persons working in the lab, Mr. Cole originally thought Medical Technologists did phlebotomy.

“It wasn’t until getting exposed to it that I realised it is a lot more than that. The reason I didn’t know much at the time and for the same reason many Jamaicans don’t know about medical technologists, is because they are working behind the scenes and the public doesn’t get a chance to interact with them,” he explains.

Mr. Cole is currently stationed at the Kingston Public Hospital Emergency Lab where he is playing a vital role in the diagnosis of COVID-19 cases.

“Without our diagnosis, the doctor is unable to treat the patients and are unable to know their status, because not everyone is symptomatic,” he says.

He adds that being aware of one’s status allows the individual as a COVID-positive patient to limit interaction with others.

“It also allows the Ministry of Health and Wellness to put together the necessary statistics so that they can monitor COVID in the nation in terms of the positivity rate.

“We have to submit the samples that we test. The cumulative figures are what you see in the newscast. The Ministry publishes the number of new cases, how many were tested and how many were positive. That forms part of the information submitted by medical technologists,” he says.

Mr. Cole, who is a husband and the father of two girls, says he thoroughly enjoys what he does, adding that “the most fulfilling part of my job is being able to contribute to the wellness of the society”.

Mr. Cole is one of Jamaica’s healthcare heroes who are being recognised during July, which has been declared Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month.

Today we salute Chief One Medical Technologist Andrae Cole!