Medical Laboratory Technician / Technologist

DISTINCT FUTURE OF CVDA

CVDA has been re-registered and licensed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice, Charities and Societies Agency, on November 30, 2009 as an Ethiopian Residents charity in accordance with the Charities and Societies proclamation No. 621/2009 with registration No. 0588. As per 1113/2019 proclamation also re-registered on July 30, 2019.

CVDA has permission to work at the national level however so far operates marginal parts of Benshangule Gumuz Region, Sidama region, South Ethiopia Region, Central Ethiopia region, South west Ethiopia region, Oromiya region, Afar region and Addis Ababa City administration.

It is member of Consortium of Reproductive Health Association (CORHA), Union of Ethiopian Women Charitable Association (UEWCA), Ethiopian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative/EEITI/, Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling up Nutrition/ECSC-SUN/ and Afar Region Health Partner Forum.

The following are CVDA’s vision, mission, goals, principles and values:

Vision

CVDA envisions a poverty-free Ethiopia where equity and equality are ensured.

Mission:

CVDA’s mission is to enhance socioeconomic development in health, education, agriculture, environment, livelihood, and WaSH, humanitarian responses, community-based peace-building, and good governance through holistic approaches and working with the community to contribute towards sustainable development and an improved standard of living in Ethiopia.

Overall goal:

CVDA’s goal is to contribute to poverty alleviation through community-based approaches by implementing programs for development, good governance, and humanitarian responses in different regions of the country.

CORE VALUES

CVDA and its operations enshrine the following values.

• Integrity: Upholding the principles of honesty and responsibility and maintaining the highest ethical standards possible.
• Courage of conviction: CVDA’s pledge is to fight against poverty and hunger and always take sides with the poorest and most disadvantaged groups and help them bring about positive changes in their lives.
• Accountability: This espouses CVDA’s ongoing commitment to be accountable for its actions and to respond periodically to questions concerning its activities or answer to those who will be affected by our decisions or actions.
• Transparency: CVDA takes decisions and implements them in a manner that follows the rules and regulations. Moreover, CVDA shall provide key stakeholders with reliable, relevant, and timely information on matters that concern them.
• Sensitivity: CVDA is sensitive to conflict, gender, resources, culture, and social values in all of its program design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting and hence it wishes to be impartial and equitable in all its actions and activities

5.5. PRINCIPLES

CVDA adheres to the following principles:

• Real-time and change-oriented performance
• Belief that results can be achieved if the process is sound and suitable
• Trustworthiness
• Team spirit
• Ownership
• Volunteerism
• Compliance and commitment
• Do no harm
• Value for money\
• Sustainability

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

1. Reproductive and Primary Health Program
2. Water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Program
3. Food Security, Livelihood Diversification and Natural Resource Conservation Program
4. , Education Program
5. Emergency and Relief Program

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Provide accurate, timely and quality laboratory services within the clinic’s licensed test menu, ensuring proper specimen management, reliable testing, quality control, safe laboratory practice, effective documentation and coordination with clinical staff.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform authorized routine laboratory investigations supporting diagnosis and monitoring of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including hematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, parasitology, serology/immunology and microbiology, according to the approved service package and available capacity.
• Provide HIV Testing Services (HTS) in accordance with national testing algorithms, approved protocols and quality standards; provide other HIV-related diagnostics only where the clinic is equipped, licensed and authorized.
• Receive and verify laboratory requests and patient identification; ensure requests contain patient details, requesting clinician, test requested, relevant clinical information and specimen collection details.
• Explain specimen collection procedures and collect, label, receive, transport, process, store and dispose of specimens in accordance with approved SOPs and biosafety requirements.
• Assess specimen quality and suitability, apply established acceptance and rejection criteria, document rejected samples and request recollection when necessary.
• Ensure appropriate pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical processes, including timely testing, result verification, validation and release.
• Review and validate results for accuracy and consistency; identify critical or unexpected results and communicate them promptly to the responsible clinician.
• Advise clinicians on appropriate test selection, specimen requirements, test limitations and the need for repeat or additional testing when indicated.
• Develop, review, update and implement laboratory SOPs, procedure manuals, test reference ranges, turnaround-time standards and laboratory safety procedures.
• Implement and document internal quality control (IQC), participate in external quality assessment/proficiency testing (EQA/PT), and take corrective action when results are unacceptable.
• Participate in laboratory audits, quality improvement, method verification or validation, and accreditation-related activities as applicable.
• Operate laboratory equipment according to manufacturers’ instructions and approved procedures; perform routine cleaning, function checks, calibration and preventive maintenance, and maintain records.
• Forecast, requisition and manage reagents, controls, calibrators, consumables and other supplies; monitor stock levels, expiry dates and storage conditions to prevent shortages, deterioration and wastage.
• Apply standard precautions, hand hygiene and appropriate personal protective equipment; maintain biosafety, disinfection, spill response, occupational-exposure reporting and safe waste disposal procedures.
• Maintain a clean, organized and safe laboratory environment, including specimen collection and processing areas; ensure equipment and work surfaces are appropriately cleaned and disinfected.
• Maintain complete laboratory registers, sample logs, worksheets, result records, equipment logs, QC records, inventory records and electronic information systems; protect patient confidentiality and secure laboratory data.
• Compile and submit timely laboratory reports, including test volumes, turnaround times, rejected samples, stock status, equipment issues and quality indicators, to the Clinic Head and relevant authorities.
• Coordinate with the Clinic Head, nurses, pharmacy personnel and other healthcare professionals to support integrated patient care and appropriate use of diagnostic results.
• Support integration of HIV, NCD, sexual and reproductive health and other primary healthcare diagnostic services within the clinic’s approved service package.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case discussions, performance reviews, community screening and health outreach activities when assigned.
• Provide technical guidance to laboratory colleagues and support training of students or other health professionals when assigned and appropriately qualified.
• Perform other related duties assigned by the supervisor, consistent with professional qualifications, current license and authorized scope of practice.

Required Qualifications, Training and Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree (BSc) in Medical Laboratory Science from a recognized institution.
• Minimum of 3 years post-qualification experience in clinical laboratory services preferably in primary health care, NGO-supported, or private clinic settings.
• Experience with HIV programs, including CD4 and viral load testing, is highly desirable.
• Valid professional license or certification to practice as a Laboratory Technologist
• Practical skills in specimen collection, labelling, processing, storage, transportation and disposal, and routine laboratory testing within the authorized test menu.
• Knowledge of hematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, parasitology, serology/immunology and microbiology, as relevant to the clinic’s approved laboratory services.
• Knowledge of IQC, EQA/proficiency testing, equipment calibration and maintenance, biosafety, infection prevention, waste management and laboratory documentation.
• Good analytical, communication, interpersonal, teamwork and problem-solving skills; ability to communicate test-related information clearly to clinicians and patients.
• Demonstrated professionalism, ethical conduct, confidentiality, accountability and commitment to quality improvement and continuous professional development.