Launching of Handbook on Good Clinical Laboratory Practices in Pakistan by PAS & NASEM March 18, 2019

The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) in collaboration with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), USA, launched the first edition of a comprehensive handbook on “Good Clinical Laboratory Practices in Pakistan” on 18th March, 2019 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. The handbook has discrete sections focusing on laboratory management, biosafety, laboratory operations & quality management systems. As such, this Handbook is intended to serve as an informational guide for clinical laboratories in order to improve the health and wellbeing of people and animals in Pakistan, in accordance with the concept of One Health. Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, Member, Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission and Maj. Gen. Tahir Khadim were the chief guests of the ceremony. Prof. Dr. M. Aslam Baig, Secretary General PAS, represented Pakistan Academy of Sciences at the Laboratory Handbook Launch Ceremony.

Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari (Former, Secretary General PAS) led a team of 22 experts from Pakistan to participate in the joint Pakistan-U.S. Workshop to “Review PAS-NAS Clinical Laboratory Handbook” in Bangkok, Thailand from 28-30 January, 2018. The Handbook has been authored by Pakistani laboratory experts from various specialities in collaboration with their U.S. counterparts.

The Handbook has been written in simple format, especially for laboratory technical staff working in public, private and university/academic laboratories across Pakistan. Maj. Gen. Aamer Ikram (Executive Director, NIH) and Dr. Dave Franz led the effort from the US Pakistan PAS and US NASEM sides respectively.