Welcome to the

Pacific Pathology Training Centre

(formerly known as Pacific Paramedical Training Centre)

Wellington, New Zealand

The Pacific Pathology Training Centre (PPTC) is a not-for-profit organisation located at Wellington Hospital, New Zealand. It was established in 1980 primarily to provide training and assistance in the Medical Laboratory Sciences and provide developmental assistance for clinical laboratories and blood transfusion services of Pacific Island countries including those of South East Asia. Since its establishment, the PPTC has been supported by the New Zealand Government, through assistance from the New Zealand Aid Programme. It has also been strongly supported by the Capital & Coast District Health Board, the New Zealand Blood Service, New Zealand Red Cross, Norman Kirk Trust and the University of Otago School of Medicine and Health Sciences. From 1990, the PPTC attained the status of collaborating centre for the World Health Organization, Western Pacific Region, and has steadily developed this relationship through the provision of its services which include providing External Quality Assurance Programmes, consultancy and teaching courses in the Medical Laboratory Sciences.

In 2019, the PPTC underwent a name change from the Pacific Paramedical Training Centre to Pacific Pathology Training Centre. This change reflects the core work being carried out by the centre. The Pacific Pathology Training Centre became a WHO Collaborating Centre for External Quality Assessment in Health Laboratory Services in June 2020.

The services offered by the Centre, are part of New Zealand’s Overseas Development Programme and are supported by a number of agencies primarily the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with the New Zealand Ministry of Health. Governance of the PPTC is by a Board of trustees comprising of six members, four of which are Medical Laboratory Scientists, who are elected annually. Additional networking with other Pacific organisations such as the SPC (Pacific Community), PPHSN (Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network), PIHOA (Pacific Islands Health Officers Association), JIMT (Pacific Joint Incident Management Team – Lab Cell), and the LabNet Technical Working Group has exemplified the organisations’ unique recognition and role amongst the region in the continuing development of Pacific-wide medical laboratory services.

Our Strengths lie in:

The provision of a two-year Diploma qualification for Laboratory Technicians.
The promotion of essential Quality Management Principles for laboratories.
The provision of an External Quality Assurance Programmes.
The provision of design consultation for laboratory construction and building refurbishments.
Shipping container laboratory setup for the Pacific region.
The provision of advice given on Laboratory Information Systems and Equipment.
The advancement of laboratories toward the International Accreditation Standard ISO15189.
The building of effective leadership and management pathways for the profession.
The strengthening and advancing National Laboratory services.

Our Core Activities:

To deliver Medical Laboratory education and its quality principles to the Pacific Nations.
To provide comprehensive & innovative Quality Assurance programmes in all clinical scientific disciplines.
To strengthen laboratory services, increase capacity and advance the local scope of testing.
To raise the operational standards of practice to a level resembling International Accreditation requirements and expectations.
To provide in-country tailored support by responding to service priorities identified by the home country.
To promote the Medical Laboratory Science profession.
To mentor laboratory management and effective leadership.
To promote professional competency, workforce skill levels and career pathways for Pacific Island laboratory workers.
To provide technical advisors, discipline-specific specialists and a pathologist network for the regions laboratory services.
To improve health outcomes for Pacific Island people.
To initiate health improvements to Pacific Islanders through the provision of appropriate, affordable and sustainable medical laboratory services.

For news and course updates please visit: https://pptc.org.nz/news/

For external quality assurance programme please visit: https://pptc.org.nz/regional-external-quality-assurance-programme/

For distance learning Diploma programme please visit: https://pptc.org.nz/distance-learning/

For Wellington based training courses please visit: https://pptc.org.nz/courses/