Following intensive restructuring and development, the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) in Bloemfontein, South Africa, regained full accreditation from WADA.
The road back for SADoCoL started early in 2015 when a turn-around plan for the laboratory was accepted by the local doping control role players, the University of the Free State (UFS) and WADA. A period of rapid growth-activity followed, during which in-depth changes were made:
Additional scientific and administrative staff members were appointed, including a full-time Director. The organizational and functional structure of the lab was adjusted as well as its reporting lines within the University of the Free State (UFS). Extensive maintenance programs for instrumentation were implemented and various up-grades were performed, including the acquisition of new instruments. Analysts were trained both in-house and abroad. Methods were re-developed and the everlasting quest for reference standards was shifted into high gear. With the appointment of a full-time Quality Manager, the quality management system and related documentation were redeveloped, improved and re-alignment with the ISO/IEC 17025 and ISL requirements.
Notwithstanding these efforts during 2015, it was apparent that the amount of work that was to be done while running an active production laboratory would not allow time for all the necessary development and therefore a decision was taken to voluntarily close the laboratory from April 2016, for at least six months, to allow time for fundamental changes. Due to an accumulation of more than 30 EQAS points during 2015, WADA also suspended the laboratory as of 2nd May 2016, to run concurrently with the voluntary closure. Although major mile stones were already achieved in September 2016, the GC/C/IRMS was the main remaining analytical challenge and therefore an extension of six more months was granted.
In February 2017 a WADA site visit team assessed SADoCoL’s progress, where the significant improvements on our analytical capabilities, scientific knowledge, laboratory procedures, comprehensive Quality Management System and well-developed training programs were acknowledged, though issues remained with the complete validation of the GC/C/IRMS and its population study. Although an in-depth IRMS training program was initiated at a European laboratory shortly after this visit, this obligatory method was not yet in place and that, together with the fact that the period of 1 year of suspension exceeded the time allowed by the ISL, compelled the Disciplinary Committee to recommend the revocation of SADoCoL’s WADA accreditation. This was accepted by the EXCO and came into effect on 31 July 2017.
However, motivated by the WADA’s acknowledgement of the progress achieved by SADoCoL and also following in-depth training, method development and validation of the IRMS method and with the addition thereof to SADoCoL’s scope of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, SADoCoL requested WADA to consider the possibility of a fast-track re-accreditation process according to specifications within the ISL. WADA granted SADoCoL this opportunity and the process started with the third EQAS round of 2017.
Early March 2018, a second WADA site visit team visited SADoCoL for the Final Accreditation Test. This included a thorough investigation of all aspects of the laboratory operations and documentation as well as witnessing the analysis and reporting of 20 EQAS samples within 5 days, which included IRMS confirmatory analysis. The abbreviated outcome of this assessment was that previous issues were found to be addressed, a recommendation from the LabEG was forwarded to the EXCO, culminating in the announcement of the re-accreditation of SADoCoL.
This was a long and tortuous road and reaching our ultimate goal would not have been possible without the fantastic team of dedicated people at SADoCoL. Hard work, tenacity and everyone’s contributions were vital in achieving this outcome. Furthermore, we extend our appreciation to local role players and the University of the Free State for their support.
We also acknowledge and are grateful for the support of our colleagues and friends in the WAADS community, because this goal could not have been achieved without tapping into the vast treasures of knowledge and experience available from them. We made new friends in the anti-doping community and appreciate all their support and willingness to actively be part of our development. Everyone’s involvement, from the start up to this very positive outcome, contributed to SADoCoL being re-accredited so that we can again fulfill our role of serving in this worthy cause.
Front row: Daniël Machaya; Crystal-Anne Barkhuizen; Faith Ndlovu; Thinus van der Merwe; Itumeleng Mabusa; Sherry-Allan Jacobs, Zeenat Raffi
Middle row: Wilmarì Meyer; Lucille Devine; Elandré Marais; Bonakele Moleme; Ebeth Grobbelaar; Betsie Human; Zedré Matthysen; Magda Britz
Back row: Hanno du Preez
