Yogyakarta – Indonesia. The first batch Regional Course on Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) was successfully organized by Center for Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada with the support from WHO/TDR at the Phoenix Hotel, Yogyakarta from September 1 to 3, 2015. Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) is a guideline in using laboratory samples for clinical studies. For some years, it has been internationally recognized that clinical laboratories processing specimens from clinical trials require an appropriate set of standards to guide good practices. This course aims to disseminate and share the experience and knowledge on the principles of GCLP particularly in developing countries with its limitation in lab facilities. The couse was delivered through lectures, discussion, laboratory visit and problem analysis which focuses on a series of modules.
We distributed call for application of the course with deadline of application: July 30, 2015 and announcement of selection result: August 5, 2015. Thirty three applicants from Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cambodia submitted their application documents. Only 25 participants (9 groups) were selected as TDR scholarship recipients. They were Bayu Wilopo, Andri Rezano, and Intan Dewi (Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjajaran, Indonesia); Prakash Ghimire and Komal Raj Rijal (Tribhuvan University, NEPAL), Indri Windarti, Asep, and Agustyas Tjiptaningrum (Faculty of Medicine, Lampung University, INDONESIA), Dono Indarto, Kusmadewi Eka Damayanti, and Yusuf Ari Mashuri (Faculty of Medicine, Sebelas Maret University, INDONESIA), Jayanthi Masakorala, Renuka Jayalatharachchi, and Gihani Madhu Maheshika Perera (Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, SRILANKA), Rajendra Gurung and Nimesh Poudyal (BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), NEPAL), Dewi Lokida Rukmana, Widoretno, Patricia Monica Tauran, and Dona Arlinda (INA-RESPOND, National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health, INDONESIA), Sindhu Wisesa Dewanto, and Anton Dharmawan (Faculty of Medicine of Jenderal Soedirman University, INDONESIA), Kimsorn Pa, Chhay Heng, Chanracksmey Ket (Ministry of Health CAMBODIA). Six resource persons facilitated this course (Varalakshmi Elango – India, Elsa Herdiana Muhandarwati, Dewajani Purnomosari, Dewi Kartikawati Paramita, Jajah Fachiroh, Elizabeth Henny Herningtyas – Indonesia). Participants gave positive feedbacks particularly on the group activities and comprehensive modules. They recommended those who work in the laboratory for service and research to take this course to improve their practices in managing samples. The 2nd batch of Regional Course on GCP will be held again in Yogyakarta on September 2016 with providing up to 7 scholarships from WHO/TDR.