Cancellation of Edmonton Hub Lab Will Expand Existing Gaps in Healthcare Access Across Alberta, Reports Canadian Laboratory Professionals

EDMONTON, July 24, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) announced their request of the Government of Alberta to invest in new infrastructure amid the recent cancellation of a $595 million-dollar medical superlab in Edmonton. New investment is needed in medical laboratory facilities across the province to help alleviate a growing shortage of services available primarily in Edmonton and Northern Alberta.

"In light of this recent decision, investments today from the Government of Alberta would help to solve the major inefficiencies of our current system and deliver faster quality patient care for less in the long run," says Joel Rivero, CSMLS Alberta Director. "Restrictions on physical space for our staff and equipment restricts Alberta's labs from running at their full potential. Investment is absolutely critical moving forward, as ultimately patients are left with the consequences of this decision."

In Canada, medical laboratory professionals perform over 440 million tests every year, tens of millions of which are in Alberta. With the information provided in these test results, doctors are able to make accurate, informed medical decisions to diagnose and treat their patients. However, the current state of Alberta medical laboratories is causing serious gaps in service. From finding adequate space for equipment to run without over heating, to sending samples to multiple locations for testing, medical laboratory services increasingly struggle to keep up with growing demands.

Future medical laboratory investment would allow medical laboratory professionals to deliver more efficient testing to northern Alberta communities which are facing a severe shortage of qualified laboratory professionals. 

"The current shortage is already having an impact in rural and remote communities across the province," says CSMLS CEO Christine Nielsen. "Compounded with the decision not to proceed with this new site, the problem will only grow. We are calling on the Government to deliver facility investments across Alberta to increase the efficiency of current testing and deliver more results to remote communities for less."

The CSMLS is prepared to work with the Government of Alberta to maximize future investment in medical laboratories.

About CSMLS
The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory assistants and the national professional society for Canada's medical laboratory professionals. Incorporated in 1937 as the Canadian Laboratory Technologists, the society has over 14,000 members in Canada and in countries around the world.

SOURCE Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science