New short course to launch next month
NEW COURSE: The course was developed by Terry van Jaarsveld and Prof Rajiv Erasmus.
Monday, 14 February 2022
A new short course focused on Point of Care Testing (POCT) will be offered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences from next month.
The practical-based course believed to be the first of its kind in Africa, was designed at CPUT and will ensure that POCT operators have the necessary background and practical skills to produce a reliable result that meets all international standards.
POCT refers to testing carried out where the patient is or near the patient, and the results are available quickly. POC tests can be done for Covid-19, diabetes, anaemia and several other conditions.
The course will be taught by the Department’s Terry van Jaarsveld, who has many years of experience in operating POCT services in the Middle East and South Africa, and Stellenbosch University’s Prof Rajiv Erasmus, who has been part of international committees to oversee the quality of Point of Care Testing.
“As simple as it may be, health providers must ensure that the results are reliable and accurate and compare well with those obtained from an accredited medical laboratory. This means that all processes involved must be carefully planned, and operators need to be trained and certified and proven capable of carrying out this testing,” they said.
In South Africa, point-of-care testing is conducted in clinics, emergency departments, pharmacies, ambulances, wards, and outpatient departments.
“Implementation of a high standard of quality POCT service must be well-planned and comprise of systematic processes, commencing with simple, but quality sample collection at the testing site, easy-to-use testing formats, and straight-forward interpretation of results.”
Written by Ilse Fredericks
News categories
- Advancement 13
- Alumni 77
- Awards 42
- Campus Life 20
- Community Engagement 158
- Disability Unit 12
- Applied Sciences 93
- Business & Management Sciences 90
- Education 96
- Engineering & the Built Environment 131
- Health & Wellness Sciences 88
- Informatics & Design 69
- Fundani CHED 25
- Funding 19
- GBV 16
- Graduation 80
- HIV/Aids Unit 39
- Know Your CPUT 65
- Libraries 18
- News 3719
- RTIP 286
- Residences (Accommodation) 14
- Staff 629
- SIIP 38
- Students 1287
- Student Health 43
- Sport, Arts & Culture 115
- SRC 4
- Student Affairs 11
- University Leadership 17
- Varsity Shield 17
- Vice-Chancellor 24
- Work-Integrated Learning 21
- THENSA 10
Latest NEWS
Cheerleaders raise the bar with provincial and national recognition
Thursday, 11 June 2026
Read more
