Call To Action

This year the MACB annual conference will be held in Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur from 15-17 July 2019 with a pre-conference workshop on 15 July 2019. Members and laboratory professionals are encouraged to attend as the conference with the theme “Clinical Laboratory Medicine in the Era of New Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities” brings an exciting program. MACB would also like invite oral and poster presenters to share their research findings with colleagues. Members can look out for sponsorship opportunities! For the diagnostic industry, the MACB conference provides a platform to showcase new inventions and new technologies. Registration for the 29^th MACB Conference 2019 is now open and can be done on-line.

MACB would also like to encourage laboratory professionals to attend the 15^th APFCB Congress which will be held in Jaipur on November 2019. For this conference, the MACB will be sponsoring a symposium on Chronic Kidney Disease. Please refer to letter of invitation from APFCB for details on the 15^th APFCB Congress.

There is also an exciting laboratory automation project that is currently being co-ordinated by the APFCB. The APFCB president has extended the invitation for MACB to nominate one key opinion leader to sit in the expert panel. The aim of the panel is to produce a document on ‘Recommendations for the selection of laboratory automation equipment and automation IT solutions for the clinical laboratory‘. The panel is expected to discuss and list key considerations and criteria for the selection of laboratory automation solutions for laboratories of varying complexities (including reference laboratories and commercial laboratories) and size (small, medium and large laboratories).  The criteria for candidate selection is as follows:

• Senior laboratory professionals with an interest in laboratory automation
• Available for 1-2 physical meetings in the region over the next 8 months
• Able to correspond efficiently and in a timely manner on email and via teleconference and
• Able to produce a written document in English

This project will commence in 2019 and will involve seven (7) countries. All financial obligations for travel and related expenses will be covered by the Siemens grant. Members who are interested please contact MACB president. Dateline for name submission is 31^st March 2019.

I would also like to announce that there is a new call for nomination from the IFCC for one vacant member position for the Task Force on Ethics. Any members who are interested to apply for this position will need to contact the MACB president before 30 March 2019 to obtain a letter of support.

MACB would also like to invite members to be a corresponding member for the various IFCC Education and Management committees:

• Clinical Molecular Biology Curriculum (C-CMBC)
• Analytical Quality (C-AQ)
• Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine (C-EBLM)
• Internet and Distance Learning (C-IDL)
• Education in the Use of Biomarkers in Diabetes (C-EUBD)
• Clinical Applications of Cardiac Bio-Markers (C-CB)
• Kidney Disease – (C-KD)
• Point of Care Testing (C-POCT)
• Proficiency Testing (C-PT)
• Value Proposition for Laboratory Medicine (C-VPLM)

For details on the various IFCC EMD committees, please visit the IFCC website. Interested members, please submit your name to MACB president by 31^st March 2019.

I look forward to hear from members for the various opportunities available. Please contact me at rajaelina@gmail.com for name submission.