Prof. Cas WEYKAMP recently visited Mexico as part of the IFCC VLP –ABBOTT program where he lectured at different sites. The first visit was the University of Tamaulipas Campus Reynosa. He then lectured at the XXXII National Congress in Clinical Biochemistry and Lab EXPO 2009; and finally gave a talk at the Medical Specialties Center of the State of Veracruz in Xalapa, capital city of the State of Veracruz. All activities where coordinated in conjunction with the Mexican Association of Clinical Biochemistry, the University of Tamaulipas Campus Reynosa, the College of Clinical Chemists of the State of Veracruz, the Minister of Health of the State of Veracruz and the University of Veracruz Campus Xalapa. 

During his visit to REYNOSA, Prof. WEYKAMP had a morning meeting at the University of Tamaulipas (UAT) with faculty members of the Chemistry Sciences Department where he learned about the projects that are being conducted at the UAT, which is rated among the first 20th best qualified of the 43 public universities in the country. He visited the teaching university laboratory, and answered to questions that students had on HbA1c. He met with the career coordinator of QFB and director of the master program in clinical analysis, Rosa Issel ACOSTA-GONAZALEZ, MS, and two of the researches, Anabel BOCANEGRA, PhD, and Virgilio BOCANEGRA, PhD; later on he had a meeting with the Director of the Multidisciplinary Academic Unit, UAT Campus Reynosa Aztlan, Juan Jose GONZALEZ MS, and Eduardo ROJANO, MS, a former graduated student of the UT ((http://www.medigraphic.com/espanol/e-htms/e-bioquimia/e-bq2007/e-bq07-3/em-bq073c.htm).

Dr Cas Weykamp also met with a group of clinical laboratory directors, from different healthcare organizations in REYNOSA (IMSS, ISSSTE, PEMEX, SSA), and with owners of clinical private laboratories. During the afternoons of Thursday and Friday, he lectured first to the faculty members and to the students; and second, to the laboratory professionals, directors and clinical chemists of the State of Tamaulipas, the north of the State of Veracruz, the State of Tlaxcala and other cities of the surroundings.

On Monday March 16, Prof. Cas WEYKAMP lectured at the XXXII National Congress in Clinical Biochemistry and Lab EXPO that took place at the Hotel Galeria Plaza. During Monday afternoon, Cas met with BIO RAD LATIN AMERICA: Carlos TENORIO, MS, Mexico Regional representative and Hugo BAEZ, MS, Manager of Quality Systems Division, and from AMBC, Maria Antonieta GARZA-GALINDO, General Coordinator of the EQAS, Eduardo ROJANO, MS, chair of the HbA1c Pilot Proficiency testing program and University of Tamaulipas Campus REYNOSA, and Rosa Isabel SIERRA-AMOR, PhD, IFCC National Representative.

Prof. Weykamp also lectured for the third time at the CEMEV in Xalapa Veracruz; the whole report (in Spanish) is available at: http://www.coquicev.es.tl/CONFERENCIA-HbA1c.htm Health authorities from the Government of Veracruz State gave auspices to this conference. The audience was laboratory professionals from the three Social Security Institutes (IMSS, ISSSTE, and PEMEX), the Civil Hospital, the Faculty of Bioanalysis of the University of Veracruz, from the Minister of Health Clinical Laboratories Office (SESVER), the College of Clinical Chemist of the State of Veracruz (CoQuiVer), and from the CEMEV. Attendees traveled from different cities of the State of Veracruz, and also from Mexico City to listen to Prof. Weykamps’ lecture on HbA1c.

We thank IFCC VLP –ABBOTT program for the opportunity to listen to Prof Cas WEYKAMP’s expertise on HbA1c and look forward to develop collaboration with other organizations in Mexico to establish a nationwide HbA1c reporting system in the near future.

Eduardo ROJANO, Cas WEYKAMP, Rosa I SIERRA-AMOR, and Rosa Issel ACOSTA-GONZALEZ at the University of Tamaulipas, Campus Reynosa.

Students participating at the XXXII National Congress in Clinical Biochemistry from the Faculty of Bioanalysis of the University of Veracruz in Veracruz, Veracruz.

Cas Weykamp IFCC Abbott-VLP, Eduardo Rojano MS from the University of Tamaulipas (Campus Reynosa) and Rosa I Sierra-Amor, IFCC NR, Mexican Association of Clinical Biochemistry.