Our main laboratory is located at D&D House, 5th floor, junction of West road and Oginga Odinga Avenue, Nakuru, Kenya.

Location details of other Scanlab centers are available at Our Locations page

Mon-Fri: 8 am – 6 pm

Sat: 9 am – 3 pm

Sun: 10 am – 4 pm

For details of other Scanlab centers, click here

We are a one-stop solution for all your laboratory needs. We offer tests spanning all disciplines of laboratory medicine including haematology, coagulation, transfusion medicine, routine and special chemistry, immunology, serology, histology, cytology, microbiology, parasitology, molecular biology, genetic studies etc. We also offer wellness assessment packages, occupational testing services e.g. cholinesterase testing for sprayers in the agricultural sectors. Additionally, we perform procedures like bone marrow aspiration (BMA), trephine biopsies, fine needle aspiration (FNA), Pap smear collection, image guided biopsies at select sites. At site (home/ office/ medical centre) specimen collection services are also available bringing convenience to your doorstep/ bedside. See our locations page for site specific contact information.  

We are a client-centric, experienced diagnostics provider led by medical specialists with a penchant for quality. We understand that behind every image, specimen or client visit is a patient or client that deserves a reliable assessment/ reliable answers. We have a highly trained & professional team of staff at all levels (front office, laboratory, finance & administration, marketing etc.). Our medical specialists (radiologists & pathologists certified by the medical council) have many years in diagnostic practice and are well recognized in their respective fields. They provide oversight and liaise with your attending Dr / clinician as needed to ensure you get quality care.

Here are snippets of what our clients have to say about us:

1. https://youtu.be/5e35ZYDUNUk?si=oQ9T0Np9lf8KYzN8
2. https://youtu.be/f7iNDLGJTog?si=vh3lLT3CNa66TfFq
3. https://youtu.be/LxfrQYBbOq8?si=gze4kd4gma1gceNB
4. https://youtu.be/6gBG6k64yhc?si=JlvY3xNmoeBBo0eQ

Visit the laboratory with a test request form (TRF) filled by your attending medical practitioner. This is provided to the front office personnel for registration. You will be informed about the total cost, when reports will be ready. You will be billed and issued with a receipt/ invoice that contains the itemized costs. Various payment options are available (cash, M-PESA, electronic, select insurances). Sample(s) will be collected and labelled for processing. You have the choice of picking your results in person, having them emailed to you and/ or having them delivered to your attending doctor/ clinician.  

Information on test price can be obtained by contacting your nearest laboratory/ sample collection point. Site specific contact information is available at locations page. For corporate clients, please refer to costing provided together with your service level agreement/ contract.

Various payment options are available e.g. cash, mobile money (e.g. M-PESA), electronic (debit or credit cards), select insurances. For the list of insurance providers that we serve, kindly contact the nearest centre.  

Our front office staff or call centre can address your queries. Please contact the relevant centre using contact details of the specific centre. Check location

This can be done by contacting the relevant centre using centre-specific details available at locations page. A verbal request can be done but should be followed by a written request. The lab will confirm:

1. If it has the right sample type(s) for the add-on test(s).
2. If there is sufficient residual volume from previous testing to enable add-on testing.
3. If credible results can be obtained taking into account analyte/ test specific stability & storage requirements.
4. If sample is still available. Samples are discarded after lapse of the established retention times.

You can cancel a test IF the test has not been processed. The reason for cancellation should be provided. It is not possible to cancel tests which have already been processed.

Please see our centre locations for centre-specific services provided, physical addresses, contact information and working hours. 

You can look up detailed test information from our lab test menu/ catalogue/ listing accessible on this website. An excellent external (non-Scanlab) resource is www.labtestsonline.org.uk a site developed for public use by lab medicine (pathology) specialists.

Our lab test list/ catalogue/ directory is accessible here on the website and is being regularly updated. If a test is missing, this does not mean that the service is unavailable. Kindly contact us for assistance via +254709040501.

A laboratory request form filled by your attending clinician is required. If you intend to be covered by an insurance provider, you need to have a valid card/ up to date payment/provide original identification documents e.g. national ID card or be physically present for biometrics. In some instances pre-authorization by your medical insurer is required. Eligibility for sample collection will be determined e.g. some tests require fasting (e.g. fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test), others have special instructions before collection (e.g. semenalysis, tests using sputum or 24 hour urine collection). It is ideal to have clinical history details e.g. whether you are on any medication or are known to have any medical condition.  

Your full name and age/ date of birth to be able to have 2 identifiers that can uniquely identify you. Age is required because most laboratory tests have age specific reference intervals or interpretation. When the right age is captured, the right intervals are automatically captured on your reports. Gender is required since a lot of reference intervals are gender specific. Your contact information i.e. phone number/ email address is required to be able to communicate with you as need arises. Your attending clinician’s contact details are required for report delivery or to communicate with him/ her as need arises. Site/ source is required for a number of tests e.g. cytology and histopathological examination.

Further details are available here: https://youtu.be/vh_fCfxgVrw?si=uV9oeAcgr_nF212y 

Fasting is generally ideal e.g. to avoid interference during analysis from gross lipemia (sample with a milky / fatty appearance). However it is mandatory only for a small number of tests. Common tests which require fasting are fasting glucose, lipid profile (only when specified as fasting lipid profile), oral glucose tolerance test, C-peptide, insulin. You may also be asked for a repeat collection if your sample is rejected for being lipemic (having a milky appearance/ fatty). Lipemia most commonly occurs as a result of a non-fasting state/ recent eating. It can cause interference in the results of multiple haematology, coagulation and chemistry results.

You will be informed at registration how long it will take for your tests to be completed. The duration it takes to complete a test (turnaround time) varies between tests. Most tests are done on a daily basis with results being available on the same day. Others may be batched i.e. done only on specific days. Some tests typically take several days before results are available e.g. cultures (2-5 days for most cultures), cytology and histology.

There are a variety of reasons why a lab specimen/ sample may be rejected. Common ones include insufficient quantity, haemolysed specimens, lipemic specimens, clotted specimens in tubes containing anticoagulants or which have been submitted for cell counts, specimens which are collected in the wrong tubes or preservatives, unlabelled or mislabelled specimens, handling errors (e.g. leaking specimens, broken slides, specimens which are supposed to be frozen or protected from light but are not), missing request forms, request forms with critical missing information (e.g. tests not specified, 24 hour urine samples where urine volume has not been provided, missing age or gender), mismatch between request form and sample label details, empty sample containers.

Collected specimens should immediately be labelled with full name of the patient, date & time of collection. Slides should be labelled immediately with full name of the patient. Unlabelled specimens are rejected & for patient safety are not returned back to referring facilities for relabelling. In the event that it is a precious irreplaceable sample, written confirmation to proceed with testing should be provided by the referring facility. However a disclaimer to the effect that an unlabelled specimen was received and caution should be exercised in using these results will be put on the report.

Triple packaging instructions apply. The primary receptacle (labelled vacutainer, sample container) should be well sealed & leak proof. It should be wrapped in sufficient quantity of absorbent material to absorb all fluid in case of leakage/ breakage and put in a secondary receptacle e.g. a biohazard specimen bag, canister with screw cap. Several primary receptacles can be put into one secondary receptacle. The secondary receptacle should then be put in a rigid outer container. The package exterior should contain the name, physical address, phone number of the laboratory, orientation arrows (⬆⬆ ) to show which side should be up and a biohazard label. Laboratory request forms should accompany the specimen and should be placed between the secondary receptacle and the tertiary receptacle e.g. in the external pocket of a zip lock bag containing specimens.

Additional guidance is available here:

1. Packaging samples: https://youtu.be/qZwMYLeE5mE?si=2yXC7TkDmtZs9NO3
2. Packaging slides: https://youtu.be/u-Vy80b_-sI?si=tZKCKOO3WD3CrJIe

Some tests require special collection materials e.g. special filter papers for dried blood spot collection, perchlorate tubes for pyruvate tests, Michel’s medium for imunofluorescence studies on biopsies etc. Kindly contact us for assistance.

A biopsy is a tissue specimen collected by your attending doctor / clinician usually for the purposes of making a diagnosis. It may be obtained via a minor or major surgical procedure or via image guidance. The collected tissue is preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin if the intended test is histopathologic examination. Put normal saline for culture samples. The specimen is sent to the laboratory immediately for processing and examined by the pathologist.

10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF) is the recommended fixative/ preservative for tissue specimens for which the specific required test is histopathologic examination by routine light microscopy (other preservatives may apply for other tests). It requires buffering salts to be added during reconstitution. Video guidance is available here: https://youtu.be/Vr2y4-fAOs4?si=-biQZpH9UFgYqAb4

A summary aid of how to prepare 1L or 10L of 10% neutral buffered formalin (recommended) is provided below:

Detailed written instructions are available at the laboratory. Kindly contact the nearest centre. Details Available in contact page.

For an accurate histological diagnosis, immediately transfer specimen into an appropriate size container with an appropriate volume of fixative solution (10% neutral buffered formalin). This will preserve it in as life-like state as possible and avoid autolysis/ deterioration. If tests other than routine histology are required, the table below serves as a guide. If in doubt, contact the lab for confirmation.

To learn how to prepare 10% neutral buffered formalin, click here: https://youtu.be/Vr2y4-fAOs4?si=-biQZpH9UFgYqAb4

Parentage testing services (“DNA testing”) are offered to walk-in clients only to establish whether an alleged father (paternity testing) or alleged mother (maternity testing) is/ are the biological parent(s) of a child or children. A variety of reasons may lead to parentage testing including but not limited to suspected child theft/ trafficking/ infant mix up or doubt about whether one is a biological parent of an alleged child. Requirements include:

• Original & clear copies of ID card or passport for alleged parent(s).
• Original & clear copy of birth notification or birth certificate of each child.
• Clear recent passport photos of each party involved (parent/s; child/ren).
• Filled consent form (issued by the lab).
• All parties must present themselves at the same time / on the same day for sample collection.
• Report/s is/ are collected in person by the parent(s) &/ or child(ren) >18 years old.
• For paternity testing, motherless paternity testing (testing without mother’s consent) is discouraged. However children >18 years can consent on their own behalf even where the mother’s consent is not forthcoming. Other cases will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Test requirements are detailed in the lab test database available here

Additional guiding resources:
1. Venous collection (venepuncture order of draw): https://youtu.be/C-w7X8G8z40?si=bb6TAlVrQFzeNR9O

2. Urine culture sample collection: https://youtu.be/86BcsRZJEqY?si=v9PRREw6N6VwM8iT
3. 24 hour urine collection: https://youtu.be/HjF-9n0FOrw?si=LdiJ3AF4w4MQMVmQ
4. Preparation of 10% neutral buffered formalin (10% NBF) for histology specimens: https://youtu.be/Vr2y4-fAOs4?si=8hgdF1vmKD4pGPN2
5. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample allocation at the time of collection and handling: https://youtu.be/MrqeWtceFek?si=K6lQBEMAKOn6sGSR

A peripheral blood film (PBF) should be prepared within 1 hour of EDTA sample collection. This avoids deterioration and artefactual changes. A demo of how to make PBFs properly is available here: https://youtu.be/kafqQZmrgQE?si=DhVJQNPVCTaTzeco

BMA smears should be prepared directly at the bedside/ within 1 hour of sample collection if placed in EDTA. This avoids deterioration and artefactual changes. A demo video with detailed guidance on how to prepare smears well is available at https://youtu.be/t_yOm3jaCCI?si=Yoe-K_oeleQ1UYzj 

Frozen platelet poor plasma (PPP) is the required sample type for a number of specialized coagulation tests e.g. protein C, protein S, lupus anticoagulant, factor assays. It is derived through a process of double centrifugation that is detailed here: https://youtu.be/9z6c8Bgr2EY?si=gXEc9K0Yu8Uleat3