JANAAC’s Accreditation of Grenadian Medical Lab Hailed as Phenomenal

Accreditation of Grenada’s Spice Isle Imaging Centre Inc. to the ISO 15189:2012 standard by JANAAC Global Accreditation is being hailed by the Managing Director of the Grenada-based medical laboratory, Father Gerard Paul.

He said that being accredited to First-World standards by the Jamaican entity is “phenomenal”.

“We are not accredited by an English, British, American, or European agency but we are accredited by JANAAC, one of the leading accrediting agencies throughout the world. This is indeed remarkable,” Father Gerard pointed out.

He was speaking at the official virtual Accreditation Awards Ceremony on October 23.

Father Gerard said that by attaining accreditation, “we have delivered a big plus for medical tourism in Grenada, whereby tourists can have a deep sense of comfort when travelling, knowing that if there are any medical emergencies, Spice Isle Imaging Centre, the only accredited laboratory on the island, is here to take care of them”.

Apart from boosting medical tourism, he noted that the international certification will offer direct benefits for Grenadians “as the test results for areas in which we are accredited are now accepted anywhere in the world”.

This will eliminate the need for individuals to travel overseas for medical attention, he argued, “as the products and services of our laboratory are as good or even better than any other accredited laboratory throughout the globe”.

“We have set the bar for clinical laboratories in Grenada and the entire OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States),” he added.

Looking forward, Father Gerard acknowledged the challenges ahead, including expanding accreditation to the haematology and chemistry departments and preparing for the next JANAAC Global audit in April 2025.

“JANAAC Global is like an old-time schoolmaster; they are always coming at you with a curveball to keep you honest and ensure that you keep up to the highest international standards,” he pointed out.

Father Gerard took the opportunity to express deep gratitude to the Grenadian people for their unwavering support, to JANAAC Global for its guidance, and to the dedicated staff of Spice Isle Imaging Centre for their hard work.