KENYA — The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi is poised to revolutionize diagnostic capabilities at its laboratory through a groundbreaking partnership with Roche Diagnostics.
The hospital has inked a contract to automate critical diagnostic processes, bolstering healthcare access not only in Kenya but also throughout East Africa.
Aga Khan University Hospital CEO Rashid Khalani stated, “This automation process will expand our capacity, reduce the need for sending tests outside the country by local healthcare providers, and attract medical tourism, further establishing Kenya as a healthcare hub in the East African region.”
Accurate and timely diagnosis plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective treatment and favorable patient outcomes.
The collaboration empowers Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi to serve as a central testing hub, providing patients with enhanced access to essential diagnostic solutions precisely when needed.
Healthcare professionals will benefit from faster, more precise results, enabling swifter treatment interventions while reducing turnaround times and minimizing human error.
The system can deliver over 800 test results for various diseases simultaneously within an hour. The contract encompasses the installation of the Cobas Pro integrated solutions diagnostic instrument, capable of testing multiple communicable and non-communicable diseases concurrently, expediting the delivery of test results to patients.
One of the longstanding healthcare challenges in many African countries has been the limited emphasis on prevention and early diagnostics.
This has resulted in situations where patients go undiagnosed or receive diagnoses at advanced disease stages, making treatment less effective and costlier.
Aga Khan Hospitals are now taking a significant step in reaching more patients, providing faster, high-quality results that ultimately enhance patient well-being.
In Kenya, non-communicable diseases are responsible for over 50% of in-patient hospital admissions and 39% of annual deaths, with cardiovascular diseases being a major contributor.
Taofik Oloruko-Oba, Head of East Africa and Anglophone West Africa at Roche Diagnostics, stressed the significance of this partnership, emphasizing that quality, accurate diagnostic testing is the first and crucial step in building a more efficient healthcare system.
Under the agreement, Roche will also offer training to clinicians and healthcare professionals to ensure they can make the most of the advanced diagnostics system.
Furthermore, the system has been designed to maintain a low environmental footprint by minimizing water usage, reducing waste, and employing eco-friendly reagent packaging. These environmentally conscious features contribute to a more sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
Roche, founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the earliest industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, has evolved into the world’s largest biotechnology company and a global leader in in-vitro diagnostics.
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