The National Health Laboratory (LNS) has made significant progress in reducing delays for biopsy analyses, cutting average waiting times from 20 days to just eight within the past year. This improvement is expected to ease the burden on patients, for whom waiting for results can be particularly stressful. Faster results also enable earlier diagnosis and the potential start of treatment.
A year ago, patients typically waited up to three weeks for biopsy results. To address this, the LNS implemented several measures, including staff overtime and a restructuring of internal procedures. These efforts have successfully reduced average waiting times to eight days, with the goal of further reducing them to four or five days in the future.
However, the LNS faces another challenge: the rising number of samples, which went up by 15% in 2024 alone. This surge has made it necessary to outsource some analyses to private laboratories abroad.
The LNS processes approximately 400 biopsies daily, alongside around 600 smears, primarily submitted by gynaecologists. Smear analyses have not experienced delays, with results typically available within three to four days.
