Have you ever felt frustrated due to a delay of your medical results from a hospital laboratory? And even after you get the results, they’re either inaccurate or mistaken with another patient’s results. Now worry no more, Bio Medical Center (BMC) has the solution, they provide high quality, fast and reliable laboratory services, which indeed are affordable.
For over a decade, BMC has been offering professional lab services while also ensuring better health of their patients. The lab which is located next to DHL at Muhima, has specialists in Hematology, pediatrics, physiotherapist and a general practitioner. More interestingly, tests recommended by doctors from other hospitals are conducted at the lab. In a day, about 200 patients for instance bring tests from various health centers, including those from neighboring countries like Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (especially Goma town). Yet all results are stored in their data-base, and are available for reference in a period of more than five years.
In terms of affordability, BMC accepts medical insurance covers from various insurance companies, and institutions belonging from the finance sector for instance. Among the insurance covers are accepted by BMS include; RSSB, CORAR, SORAS-Mediplan, UNR , Radiant, UAP, GMC, SONARWA, MMI. Furthermore, services at the lab are available at reasonable rates for those who don’t have medical insurance. Currently, the lab is updating most of its equipments while also introducing more sophisticated tools , in order to conduct a variety of medical examinations. Moreover, BMC strives to ensure that no tests are turned back; hence the lab works jointly with a hi-tech lab in France known as BIOMNIS. The tests done abroad are available within 2 weeks. Below are highlights of the lab sections at BMC, as well as the physiotherapy division. So far, there’re four laboratories namely; Biochemistry, Hematology, Bacteriology, Parasitology and Immunology/ Serology/Hormonology.
Lab sections
Collection Room
This is where all tests are collected then referred to relevant labs for examinations. According to Alice Uwamahoro, a lab technician in this section, among the samples for tests are obtained from blood, stool, urine, sputum, vaginal and urethral swab and spermogram.
Hematology
This is where the study of blood is performed. The aim is to indentify some of the diseases are brought by infections, Anemia, Leukemia etc. The processes include; etiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention of blood diseases that affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, and the mechanism of coagulation. Hematology assists in the treatment of hematological malignacies such as lymphoma and leukemia.
Bacteriology and parasitology
Parasitology: In this particular lab, tests related to parasites are performed to indentify worms for instance like protozoa and worm infestations. Samples for tests are collected from both the human’s stool and urine.
Bacteriology: this is the study of bacteria in a patient’s body, where samples from urine, wounds puss, vaginal swabs are obtained and cultured in order to indentify the bacteria
Biochemistry Serology and hormonology
In this particular lab, Biochemistry tests are performed to explore normal body functions, these include; Liver function tests, Kidney function tests, cardiac function tests and electrolites
The Immunology laboratory performs state-of-the-art, such as immunology studies to diagnose and monitor immunologic disorders.
Serology is a blood test to detect the presence of antibodies against a microorganism. Certain microorganisms stimulate the body to produce antibodies during an active infection. Some of the diseases detected are measles, syphilis, HIV, Viral Hepatitis etc.
Hormonology tests the behavior of hormones, the examinations entail Thyroid gland, fertility, androgens, cancer markers etc. Other tests are for osteoporosis, adrenal glands and diabetes. According to Ignance Mutalambirwa, BMC has sophisticated machines like the Axsym which can conduct over 100 different tests mentioned above, in a day.
Results section
After the tests have been complied they are sent to the results collection desk, where they’re compiled and presented to the patients who take the results to their respective doctors, while those who have been diagnosed at BMC, their results are referred to various specialists at the Center.
Sandrine Kaneza, explains that the results are recorded in the lab’s database, and are available to the client without any fee whenever they need the results for future reference.
Other services offered include the following;
Physiotherapy
BMC also has a department of physiotherapy which offers professional services to those suffering from muscle and joint pains. This particular service is also available for those who don’t have medical insurance at a cost of Frw 6,000 per session, which lasts for one hour. Christine Mukeshimana and Valentine Mukeshimana, who are both physiotherapist, also attend to those who have respiratory complications especially children. Among the tools used include; infrared, electro therapy machine, vibrator, nebulizer and a still bicycle.
