Dr Abasi Ene-Obong, CEO, 54gene, says access to advanced technology for precision diagnostic is critical to improving treatment outcomes for patients.
Ene-Obong made the assertions at the inauguration of the company’s diagnostic arm- 7Riverlabs on Tuesday in Lagos.
Precision diagnosis is the accurate and timely explanation of each patient’s health problem and communication of that explanation to patients and decision-makers.
Ene-Obong said that with improved diagnostic, many people would be able to manage their health appropriately and live a healthier life.
According to him, 7Riverlabs will provide patients and healthcare providers access to advanced, accessible and affordable diagnostic screening.
“Our goal with this new diagnostics arm is to ensure that every African has access to our hubs offering advanced laboratory tests without having to pay an exorbitant out-of-pocket fee.
“Physicians will now be able to detect and prevent diseases earlier, thereby helping to improve the patients’ treatment outcomes and quality of health.
“Patients will receive speedy results that will guide their physicians in reducing late diagnoses, leading to poor chances of survival, improve their treatment options and ultimately their quality of life,” he said.
Ene-Obong said that since launch of the health technology company in 2019, it had driven genomic and molecular medicine throughout Africa.
According to him, 54gene has domesticated diagnostic technology, which he said is eliminating the need for samples to be sent abroad for analysis at a considerable cost to the patient.
Also, Jude Uzonwanne, Interim-Chief executive Officer, 7Riverlabs, said the laboratory was to complement the government’s efforts at attaining its goal to improve healthcare for the populace.
Uzonwanne said that the laboratory would conduct over 300 critical molecular tests including oncology, infectious diseases, genetic testing and sequencing, as well as anatomic pathology.
Others are Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Haematology, communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
“With some tests costing as little as a few thousand Naira, results, depending on the complexity, are provided in as little time as a few hours to a few days and are sent digitally to the patients’ physicians for follow-up.
“Hundreds of molecular tests will be made available for millions of people at a fraction of the cost of transporting samples overseas, thereby helping to increase early disease-detection, screening rates and save lives,” he said.
Uzonwanne said that sample collection centres with over 100 employees were already opened in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, with more centres to be opened in 10 major Nigerian cities in the coming months. (NAN)
