[Cardinal problems of the regional bacteriological laboratories of tuberculosis facilities]

Restructuring the health care system and the epidemiological situation associated with tuberculosis result in an increased burden on the bacteriological laboratories (BLs) of tuberculosis facilities. At present, there are no statistical data that enable one to estimate the capacity of a laboratory service to assure the adequate quality and efficiency of bacteriological diagnosis. To assess the state of the headquarters BLs of tuberculosis facilities, the authors have worked out a questionnaire to glean necessary information on the activity of the laboratories to such an extent that suffices to reveal cardinal problems in the work of individual laboratories and the laboratory network as a whole. Out of the 48 questionnaires sent from the regional BLs, the data available from 22 laboratories that had fully answered all the questions were analyzed. The data obtained are referred to as of 2004, i.e. when the current antituberculous care projects were launched, which is of significance in organizing the monitoring of a laboratory service and in assessing the progress of the projects. The authors have identified the following cardinal problems: inadequate readiness of most laboratories to fully perform their incumbent functions; no coordination in providing data at the regional and federal levels; inefficient laboratory diagnosis that is associated with the disintegration of the curatorial institution, with neither reference relations no united external or internal quality control programs, with the lack of expertise and the undermanning of the laboratories, with the obsolete list of staff members and the obsolete standards for calculation of their loads, with the deterioration of a material and technical base, and with the unconformity of equipment to the state-of-the-art technologies. In order to solve the above problems, the authors offer a laboratory service monitoring system based on the proposed questionnaire, followed by the computerization of data collection and the compulsory supervision of regional laboratories by the officials of district and federal BLs.