MINISTRY OF HEALTH CIRCULAR NOTICES NO. 1 OF 2025
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the following positions tenable in the Ministry of Health.
JOB TITLE : PRINCIPAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGIST
GRADE : H
NO OF POSITIONS : SIX (6)
RESPONSIBLE TO : MANAGER LABORATORY SERVICES
STATION : Mokhotlong, Machabeng, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek, Berea and National Reference Laboratory
JOB SUMMARY
Under the general supervision of the Manager Laboratory and Research, the Principal Laboratory Technologist oversees sectional laboratory operations, including point-of-care testing. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with regulatory and professional standards, maintaining quality control measures, supervising staff, and enhancing workflow efficiency. Additionally, the Principal Laboratory Technologist manages laboratory resources, collaborates with laboratory clients, implements safety precautions, inspects records, conducts training, and assigns staff responsibilities.
MAIN DUTIES
OVERSEEING LABORATORY OPERATIONS
- Ensure all sections functions at full capacity.
- Ensure adherence to test menu as set in the national essential diagnostic list.
- Facilitate the enrollment of EQA for all tests performed in the sections.
- Provide advisory services to clinicians.
MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES
- Occasionally advise the Laboratory manager on type of equipment to be purchased in order to provide efficient services.
- Annual preparation of sectional budget for acquisition of reagents and consumables
- Monthly plans and staff allocations within the department to ensure appropriate distribution of available manpower, and to avoid mental stagnation.
- Occasionally advises the Laboratory Manager on staff appointment and development in order to effect staff selection and improvement.
INSTITUTION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
- Occasionally updates standards operating procedures to keep up with advances in analytical methodologies.
- Monthly runs Quality Control Programs to monitor staff acceptable turn- around time.
- Daily ensures that safety measures are being instituted, for example protective clothing/coats and gloves are put on or worn, benches wiped, buckets filed with disinfectants, etc.
- Occasionally ensures that equipment and other property are protected by ascertaining that the personnel operating them are familiar with relevant operating manuals.
TRAINING
- Occasionally guides newly employed staff and students on in-services training in medical laboratory techniques and methodologies to help them acquire competence in performing analytical procedures.
- Occasionally draws up programme for refresher and corrective training top remind works in the field of procedures and to remedy shortcomings in the applications of these procedures.
- Occasionally trains subordinates to perform special tests to improve their knowledge and competence.
- Occasionally participate as a guest lecture in training of medical laboratory science students to ensure that graduates of the course meet requirements of the service.
ALLOCATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
- Weekly draws up a staff rooster to various benches to ensure that daily work is carried out and maintain competence.
- Occasionally allocates students to various working benches for training in Laboratory techniques to acquire competency.
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
- Occasionally undertakes research studies to establish norms and disease patterns in the population.
- Occasionally makes research plans and proposal and works out the modalities to carry out the research studies.
INSPECTION
- Quarterly inspects records, for example requestion books, invoice for follow-up of payments.
- Annually compiles data concerning consumption of material and reconciles with the statistics for contribution in the preparation of overall of the laboratory.
- Monthly reconciles invoice with records on specimens sent to other institutions outside the country for further investigations to help in the
- payment process.
MANAGEMENT OF SECTIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Weekly monitors equipment for proper sanctioning to establish reliability and good performance.
- Occasionally monitors troubleshooting equipment and implementation for corrective action.
- Occasionally performs special tests either for further investigation of for confirmation of preliminary findings to help in the diagnosis and treatment ofpatients.
- Weekly analyses internal quality control data for standardization of laboratory procedures and assessment of performance of both staff and equipment.
- Monthly analyses external quality control data in order to maintain continuous quality improvement.
- Pays regular visits to health facilities for support and necessary intervention.
REPORTING OF RESULTS
- Occasionally provides advisory consultation to the medical officers on complex results for clarification and interpretation.
- Daily signs out-going as a control measure to ensure that results releases are appropriate to the test requested and are going to be help to the patients
JOB SPECIFICATION
Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences/Biomedical Science/Technology or equivalent plus 4 years working experience in Medical
Laboratory
OR
Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science/ Biomedical Science/Technology plus 10 years working experience with a minimum of 5 years managing Hospital laboratory
Management qualification in health care programs will be an added advantage
Knowledge and skills
- Training in quality Management System
- Problem solving and decision making.
- Computer literacy
- Communication skills
How to apply
All candidates who apply for position at Grade H level and above will be subjected to assessment process as per Public Service Regulations of 2008-Division III section 24 (1).
All applications should be on relevant forms, GP 104 for serving officers, and GP 103 for job seekers, accompanied by certified copies of Educational Certificates, Marriage Certificates for married women, Transcripts, Performance Appraisals (for serving officers), Email address, landlines or mobile phones for contacts.
Addressed to;
The Principal Secretary
Ministry of Health
Corner Constitution Road
Human Resources Office, 2nd Floor.
PO Box 514
Not later than 14th March 2025