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On the evening of 1 July 2015, during the Summit Excellence in Quality at Montreux Switzerland, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) was awarded with an international award in ‘European Quality’ in the healthcare sphere category, in an award ceremony hosted by the Swiss Institute for Quality Standards (SIQS) and the Socrates Committee.

This award is in recognition of the safe and effective treatment methods, the highly professional medical staff and services quality in accordance to the European standards.

The aim of the award was to spread the Swiss Quality concept and to promote and implement advanced quality standards. Winning this international award is an accolade for South Africa and serves as recognition of the NHLS and affirmation of the organisations’ position as a leader in pathology and diagnostic services.

Ms Joyce Mogale, who currently serves as interim CEO of the NHLS, said that representing the NHLS at the award ceremony was a great honour, and that receiving the award is not only a celebration for the organisation, but also for the country. In addition, the award serves as a reflection of the great strides and continuous improvements made by South African healthcare institutions over the years, and can essentially be attributed to the overwhelming dedication, commitment and professionalism of our medical staff and the quality services they provide.
                                                                     
This prestigious international recognition places the NHLS in an advantageous position, as the organisation now has the rights to:

·         Utilise the United Kingdom’s registered award logo for advertising purposes, in order to show recognition in accordance to the highest quality of standards.

·         Receive national prestige and confirmation of service excellence in international markets; and

·         Obtain consultation services from Europe Business Assembly (EBA) experts concerning goods and services promotion for national and regional markets.

Issued by Government Communications (GCIS) on behalf of National Health Laboratory Service