King Faisal Specialist Hospital And Research Center in Jeddah has been granted accreditation by the American Association of Blood Bank (AABB), according to Dr. Tariq Lingawi, chief executive officer. The AABB's accreditation procedures are voluntary, said Dr. Mohammed Al-Khalifa, chairman of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine. 'The hospital has sought AABB accreditation because this program assists facilities around the country in achieving excellence by promoting a level of professional and medical expertise that contributes to quality performance', he said. Accreditation follows an intensive on-site assessment by specially trained AABB assessors and establishes the level of medical, technical and administrative performance within the facility that meets or exceeds the standards set by AABB. By successfully meeting those requirements, KFSH-Jeddah joins approximately 1700 similar facilities across the United States and 80 other countries that have earned AABB accreditation. Meanwhile, King Abdul Aziz Medical City's Western Region Laboratory in Jeddah has been awarded accreditation by the Commission of Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) following a recent on-site inspection. The commission congratulated the laboratory on the "excellence of service being provided", Hussain Babgi, KAMC's public relations manager, said in a press statement. The CAP Laboratory Accreditation program, begun in the early 1960s, is recognized by the US government. At present, there are more than 6000 CAP-accredited laboratories worldwide.
