Al-Nasar Lab & Diagnostic Centre holds ISO 15189:2022 accreditation from the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) and is licensed by the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC). These are independent assessments of our technical competence and patient safety, carried out by national authorities rather than claimed by us.
Operating in Lahore since 1996, we hold ourselves to standards that are verifiable. This page explains what each accreditation is, who issues it, and what it actually means for the reliability of your test result.
What does laboratory accreditation actually mean?
Accreditation is formal recognition by an independent authority that a laboratory is technically competent to produce accurate results. It is not the same as registration or certification. A laboratory can register a business or certify that it follows written procedures without anyone verifying that its results are correct.
Accreditation goes further. An external assessment team examines the equipment, the methods, the qualifications of the staff, the handling of your sample from collection to report, and the laboratory’s own quality control records. Accreditation is granted only if the laboratory demonstrates competence, and it is reassessed periodically to confirm that standards are maintained.
ISO 15189:2022 accreditation by PNAC
ISO 15189 is the international standard for quality and competence in medical laboratories. It is written specifically for laboratories that test human samples, which makes it stricter and more relevant than general business quality standards. The 2022 revision is the current version and replaced ISO 15189:2012.
What does ISO 15189:2022 cover?
The standard covers the whole testing journey, not just the moment the test is run:
- Before the test: how your sample is requested, collected, labelled, transported and stored
- During the test: validated methods, calibrated equipment, traceable measurement, and documented internal quality control
- After the test: how results are verified, reported, interpreted and delivered, including turnaround times and critical result alerts
- Throughout: staff competence, impartiality, patient confidentiality, risk management and continual improvement
The 2022 revision strengthened the focus on risk management and on the patient as the primary consideration, and aligned the structure with ISO/IEC 17025.
How is ISO 15189 different from ISO 9001?
This distinction matters and is often blurred. ISO 9001 certifies that an organisation follows a documented quality management system. It applies to any industry and does not assess whether laboratory results are technically correct. ISO 15189 accreditation assesses technical competence directly, including whether methods are validated and whether results are accurate and traceable. For a diagnostic laboratory, ISO 15189 is the meaningful standard.
Who is PNAC?
The Pakistan National Accreditation Council is the national accreditation body of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology. PNAC assesses and accredits laboratories, certification bodies and inspection bodies against international standards. An accreditation issued by PNAC means an independent national authority has assessed the laboratory, not that the laboratory has assessed itself.
Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) licensing
The Punjab Healthcare Commission is the statutory regulator for healthcare establishments in Punjab, established under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010. Every legitimate healthcare provider in the province is required to be licensed by the PHC.
The Commission enforces Minimum Service Delivery Standards, covering premises, equipment, infection control, waste handling, record keeping and the qualifications of clinical staff. It inspects establishments, investigates patient complaints, and takes action against unqualified practice. PHC licensing is your assurance that the facility is legally permitted to operate and is subject to independent oversight and complaint procedures.
External quality assessment and proficiency testing
Accreditation confirms that a laboratory is competent. Proficiency testing proves it, continuously. The two are often grouped together but they answer different questions, and a laboratory that does both is submitting itself to a much higher level of scrutiny.
How does proficiency testing work?
In a proficiency testing scheme, also called external quality assessment, an independent international organisation sends the laboratory samples whose true values are already known but are not disclosed. The laboratory processes them exactly as it would a patient sample, with no special handling, and reports its results back.
The scheme then compares those results against the reference value and against every other participating laboratory around the world. Any drift, bias or error shows up immediately, measured against an external benchmark rather than the laboratory own judgement.
Why does it matter more than a certificate on a wall?
Accreditation is a periodic assessment of whether a laboratory has the competence, equipment and systems to produce accurate results. Proficiency testing is ongoing, practical evidence that it actually is producing them, several times a year, judged internationally.
Together they answer the two questions that matter to a patient: is this laboratory capable, and is it performing. Al-Nasar Lab and Diagnostic Centre participates in international proficiency testing schemes alongside its formal accreditations.
What each standard means for you as a patient
| Accreditation | Issued by | What it assures you |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 15189:2022 | Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) | Your test result is technically accurate, traceable, and produced by validated methods and competent staff |
| Healthcare licence | Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) | The facility is legally licensed, meets minimum service standards, and is subject to inspection and complaint procedures |
Why accreditation matters when choosing a laboratory
A diagnostic result changes what happens next. It determines whether you are treated, monitored or reassured, and an inaccurate result can send that decision the wrong way. Two laboratories can run the same test on the same sample and report different values if one has not validated its method, calibrated its analyser or run proper quality control.
Accreditation is the only practical way for a patient to distinguish between them, because it puts an independent authority between the laboratory’s claim and your trust. When comparing providers, ask which body accredited them, to which standard, and whether that accreditation is current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-Nasar Lab ISO accredited?
Yes. Al-Nasar Lab & Diagnostic Centre holds ISO 15189:2022 accreditation awarded by the Pakistan National Accreditation Council, the national accreditation body of Pakistan.
What is ISO 15189:2022?
ISO 15189:2022 is the international standard for quality and competence in medical laboratories. It covers sample handling, testing methods, equipment calibration, staff competence and result reporting, and is the current version of the standard, replacing ISO 15189:2012.
What is the difference between accreditation and certification?
Certification confirms that an organisation follows a documented system. Accreditation goes further and confirms technical competence, meaning an independent body has verified that the laboratory can actually produce accurate results.
Is Al-Nasar Lab licensed by the Punjab Healthcare Commission?
Yes. Al-Nasar Lab & Diagnostic Centre is licensed by the Punjab Healthcare Commission, the statutory healthcare regulator for Punjab province.
What is proficiency testing in a laboratory?
Proficiency testing, also called external quality assessment, is a scheme in which an independent international body sends a laboratory samples with known values. The laboratory tests them blind and reports back, and its results are compared against the reference value and against other laboratories worldwide. It provides ongoing proof of accuracy between accreditation assessments.
How can I verify a laboratory’s accreditation?
Accreditation bodies publish directories of the organisations they accredit. PNAC maintains a list of accredited laboratories, and the Punjab Healthcare Commission maintains a list of licensed healthcare establishments. You can also ask any laboratory to show its current certificate and its scope of accreditation.
Does accreditation cover every test a laboratory offers?
Not automatically. Accreditation is granted for a defined scope, which lists the specific tests and methods assessed. This is why the scope document matters as much as the certificate itself, and why it is reasonable to ask whether the particular test you need falls within it.
Book a test at an accredited laboratory
Al-Nasar Lab & Diagnostic Centre has served patients in Lahore since 1996, offering more than 800 laboratory tests alongside MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray, mammography, DEXA scanning, 3D dental CBCT and nuclear medicine.
Call 0300 0341944, arrange home sample collection on 0309 1166944, find your nearest collection centre, or contact us to book an appointment.
