A training workshop on coaching and auditing took place for regional laboratory managers (RLMs) and laboratory quality managers (LQMs) at regional hospitals. Running from January 22 to 27, 2024, in Kindia, the workshop was organized by the country’s health ministry via its national laboratory department, with technical and financial support from the RESAOLAB project.

Following the course, a road map was developed to spread the lessons learned from the training at regional level. To assess the road map’s implementation, the laboratory department applied to the RESAOLAB project for funding for post-training supervision in six administrative regions of Guinea, taking place in March 2024.

This supervision was an opportunity to survey the difficulties arising in implementing the road map, monitor the roll-out of RLMs at two urban health centers and LQMs in regional hospitals, support RLMs and LQMs in the deployment of the activities in their respective road maps, and finally draw up recommendations.

The supervision was hybrid in form, with one part taking place remotely with Mérieux Foundation quality experts, a second part taking place face to face, and a third part taking place directly on the ground in the supported laboratories.

Human resources are key to establishing a quality approach in laboratories and guaranteeing the robustness of the services offered. With this in mind, the RESAOLAB project is supporting the reinforcement of RLMs’ skills and activities.

Among other tasks, RLMs are responsible for:

• ensuring the application of legislative and regulatory texts relating to medical biology;
• ensuring the application of standards of good practice for medical biology laboratories;
• taking part in continuing professional development training for laboratory practitioners;
• organizing the supervision, assessment, and inspection of medical biology laboratories;
• helping to organize the internal and external quality control system for medical biology laboratories.