Laboratory

The North Estonia Medical Centre laboratory is one of the largest hospital laboratories in Estonia. The laboratory performs tests in all primary fields of laboratory medicine. 800 specific tests are available and in 2022, 3.8 million tests were performed. 

Laboratory has six departments.

  • preanalytics
  • clinical chemistry and haematology (operates around the clock), laboratory units in Läänemaa, Rapla and Hiiumaa
  • clinical immunology (includes a stem cell laboratory)
  • microbiology and molecular diagnostics (also includes a mycobacteriology laboratory)
  • blood bank (operates around the clock)
  • measurement laboratory, established in 2012 to measure personal radiation doses absorbed by radiology workers 

The North Estonia Medical Centre laboratory is accredited against the requirements of standard EVS-EN ISO 15189:2012 “Medical laboratories. Requirements for quality and competence.” The stem cell laboratory has been issued a State Agency of Medicines activity licence.
We are the only Estonian hospital laboratory to test for heavy metals, bone metabolic markers and some tumour markers. We are the only hospital lab in northern Estonia to conduct tests in the field of specific clotting factors, platelet function testing and tuberculosis. We also study cell surface antigens in haematological patients and collect and store peripheral blood stem cells.
The hospital uses an electronic system to order laboratory tests. 
The research conducted at the laboratory has been related to reference values of complete blood count parameters, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, platelet function testing and quality indicators in the medical lab. We supervise bioanalytics students at the Tartu Health Care College, Tallinn University of Technology mathematics and nature faculty gene technology students and University of Tartu residents in laboratory medicine and other fields.
We have engaged in international cooperation primarily with Nordic laboratories and organizations. The stem cell lab has worked with the Sahlgrenska Hospital lab in Gothenburg, and the immunology laboratory takes part in the work of the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO). Students and colleges from Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Italy, Austria, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan have studied at the North Estonia Medical Centre.
We want to be good partners for our colleagues in diagnosing and treating disease as well as in conducting training and research.

The mission of the North Estonia Medical Centre laboratory is to conduct high-quality laboratory studies to help diagnose and treat diseases.

Marge Kütt
Head of Laboratory