Extensive laboratory services and plans to develop specialist diagnostics
LIBYA – Khaled Abdullah Al-Gaddafi, head of the Central Laboratory and Blood Bank Department at the Benghazi Medical Centre, has said that between 80 and 85% of basic routine tests are available at the centre, as work continues to develop specialist services and add equipment to support the diagnosis of blood diseases and tumours.
Kidney, liver and heart tests, cultures and communicable diseases
In comments to the Libyan News Agency (LANA), Al-Gaddafi said the laboratory offers kidney and liver function tests, cardiac enzymes, lipids, blood gases, complete blood counts, culture tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for communicable diseases.
Up to 4,000 samples a day and 1.655 million tests
He said the centre’s laboratories receive between 3,000 and 3,500 samples a day, a figure that can rise to 4,000 depending on the workload, noting that about 1,655,000 tests had been carried out in nine months, according to the centre’s statistics.
BioFire device, flow cytometry and disease diagnosis
He said a BioFire device for the rapid molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases had arrived, but that operating it requires the company to supply consumables, while work is under way to obtain a new flow cytometry device, used in tests for blood diseases and tumours, to replace the previous one.
Developing bone marrow services and training staff
He added that the centre plans to develop specialist services, including those linked to bone marrow transplantation and blood diseases, which will require equipment, consumables, training for technicians and stronger specialist cooperation.
He attributed the increased pressure on the centre in 2026 to hospitals being taken out of service for maintenance, the opening of new hospitals and a rise in patient numbers, affirming that basic tests will continue to be provided and diagnostic capacity developed to meet patients’ needs.
