Services

Clinical Trials

Mbale Clinical Research Institute conducts a series of clinical trials focusing on in-patient hospital care and out-patient healthcare. Notably evidence-based research involving molecular laboratory work, infectious diseases, emergency paediatrics, and community engagement. The approach that we have used emphasizes on high quality research, local capacity building of human resources, infrastructure and equipping of the key research stations.

This approach has led to collaborations with both national and international partners including Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Busitema University, KEMRI Wellcome Trust, JCRC, MUJHU, etc. We are dedicated to delivering the highest research quality and services. Over the years, MCRI’s portfolio has gradually expanded to include different studies involving Severe Anaemia, Severe Pneumonia, Hydroxyurea with SCA, Severe Hypoxia, Malaria, HIV alongside many other major studies.

Laboratory Services

Our Laboratory has brought together highly qualified professionals with a focus on cutting-edge personalized diagnostics that leverages the decades of clinical laboratory and research experience within the institute laboratory. MCRI Laboratory provides a wide range of safety and efficacy testing to the study participants for the different trials.

Accounts Department

No business can operate without an efficient supply of finance. It is the lifeblood of all organizations and the common denominator by which most business performance is measured both internally and externally. The accounting and finance department is at the centre of any organization and is responsible for ensuring the efficient financial management and financial controls necessary to support all business activities.

At MCRI, the accounting and finance department is concerned with planning, managing, and controlling financial resources, including managing records and information related to business finances. In addition, the department is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient financial management to support the company in achieving its goals. This department also performs the necessary financial controls to support all business activities.

The department controls the income and expenditure in addition to ensuring effective business running with minimum disruptions. Besides the traditional roles of handling the payroll, income and expenses, MCRI’s finance department responsibilities also include economic analysis to improve key business strategies.

The financial accounting role is key within the department where we are concerned with keeping account of all transactions, using the double entry bookkeeping system and preparing final accounts suitable for meeting the various regulatory requirements for statutory reporting, the stock exchange and taxation authorities, by the aid of our Financial Management Accounting software.

We ensure Daily account record keeping that entails reconciling the Institute’s financial registers to make suitable business decisions. Through bookkeeping and income statement preparations, the unit supports the management in filing requisite financial data that’s useful in managing donor funds.

By analyzing the Institute’s financial statements, the finance department evaluates economic trends, identifies its future investment and cultivates long-term business plans. It uses and synthesizes financial analysis information to assist in Organization decision-making.

The finance department plans and implements the Institute’s grant budgets. The department also conducts research and collects data that assists in the organization’s temporary and permanent financial forecasts. This information is essential in planning and providing informed decisions critical to successful grant/study implementation, expansion, such as staff training and asset procurement.

Execution of these tasks within the finance department has been possible as a result of the team possessing the rightful skills, not limited to: problem solving, communication skills, analytical skills, persuasiveness and detail oriented, that enables us to identity discrepancies in data and be able to identify arithmetical errors if any.

Data Management Services

MCRI Data Management Centre (DMC) is in charge of handling all the institute’s data activities in clinical trials study. The DMC upholds all the institute’s core values in handling Clinical Research Data.

The main goal of DMC is to achieve high-quality data that is reliable and creditable. This is achieved by setting processes and policies around its usage and building confidence in the data used for decision-making throughout the life time of the project.

DMC enables organizations to maintain data integrity throughout the duration of a clinical research study. Correct Clinical Data management leads to generation of high-quality, secure, reliable, and statistically sound data from clinical trials.

The software applications that is used maintain an audit trail and provide easy identification and resolution of data discrepancies. Sophisticated innovations have enabled Clinical Data Management to handle large trials and ensure the data quality even in complex trials.

ICT Management

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department drives all the research institute’s technology and Infrastructure i.e., ICT Operations, R & D, and ICT Strategy. ICT is responsible for setting up enterprise systems as well as ensuring that the company ICT systems and network are fully operating on a day-to-day basis as well as protect the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of the data employed within the organization while providing value to the way we conduct research. From a broader view, the department handles research institute’s networks, servers, databases, security, and data, etc. in addition to building and maintaining enterprise systems to support the institute’s research.

Community Engagement

Engagement As Operational Research

From a national and international context, MCRI’s key relationships with community helps to ensure that important research findings make a difference to local people and medical care throughout the region – and thus have an influence far beyond the geographic areas in which the institute operates.

Mbale Clinical Research Institute is committed to engaging with the local community, to discuss their research and to build mutual understanding and trust between the institute and the community by responding to various biomedical and clinical concerns.

By developing strong links with the immediate community, the institute can ensure that its activities and clinical trials are accepted and approved by local authorities and communities – a prerequisite for its long-term studies. Furthermore, the close collocation of research studies and application can aid in ensuring that its activities are focused on delivering practical benefits.

Capacity Building

Trainings and Capacity Building

MCRI’s training and capacity building program embraces a multi-dimensional approach to sustainable research and administrative development. Our training programs focus to build capacity to effect change and yield long term results that truly impact on existing capacities to fulfil our mission.

Key achievements of MCRI in the last 6 years:

• Short-term research training courses for over 120 clinical and nursing staff in GCP, (research methods, ethics and treatment guidelines including ETAT and Uganda Treatment Guidelines).
• Mbale Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) recognized at national level as best performing regional referral hospital. For improved quality of services consecutively for the last 3 years.
• MRRH Institutional Review Committee established with funding from EDCTP.
• Mentorship of 2 junior doctors to complete Postgraduate Diplomas in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
• Laboratory technicians (2) received training in Kilifi.
• Study site coordinator (nurse) received a scholarship for medical training.
• Dr. Peter Olupot-Olupot completed his PhD in March 2015, Postdoc 2016-2018.
• Research Laboratory construction: improving research and training of the young researchers.
• Strengthening clinical patient care systems including patient triage, blood transfusion services

MCRI Student Supervision

Mbale Clinical Research Institute has a remarkable record of Student supervision. Below is a summary of a few of the formal trainings done on an annual basis.

Other ongoing professional and scientific educational studies include Laboratory Technologist (RM) doing MSc., HR & Administration (CA) doing ACCA, Operations Officer (MP) doing CPA, Data Manager (GA) doing M&E, Head of QA/QC (CBO) doing MPH, Medical Officer (PG) doing his MPH and a number of other departments enrolling for further studies.

PPDA Capacity

Mbale Clinical Research Institute has built PPDA Capacity which stands for Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority to harmonize the procurement and disposal policy systems and practices of the institute and has zero tolerance against corruption and fraud. All Officers and Researchers must behave and act according to our ethical values.

GCP Training

The Institute has trainings for all its staff on Good Clinical Practice (GCP). GCP course is designed to prepare research staff in the conduct of clinical trials with human participants. The 12 modules included in the course are based on ICH GCP Principles and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for clinical research trials in the U.S. The course is self-paced and takes approximately six hours to complete. https://gcp.nidatraining.org/