Aga Khan University
Hospital CEO Rashid Khalani & BioMérieux Vice President for Clinical
Operations Africa Marc Haribou during the launch. Photo/HANDOUT
A new diagnostic tool that returns results in 30 minutes, down from eight to 18 hours, has been launched at the Aga Khan University hospital. The Vitek MS Prime, a diagnostic platform from bioMérieux, uses a new technique to rapidly identify microorganisms by analysing their protein profiles.
It can rapidly detect a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi,
yeast, and other hard-to-identify pathogens that cause pneumonia, meningitis,
gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and other diseases, the university said in a statement.“Previously, we had to send some samples to Asia, and
patients would wait weeks for results. Now, we can do this right here, in our
laboratory,” said Dr Shaheen Sayed, chair of the Department of Pathology in a statement.
“This technology accelerates diagnosis, improves accuracy, and enables timely,
targeted treatment—helping curb inappropriate antibiotic use, fight
antimicrobial resistance, and save patients unnecessary costs.”Rashid Khalani, CEO of AKUH, Nairobi, hailed the acquisition
as a milestone in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing
concern across countries in the global south.“As we know, antimicrobial resistance is a global health
issue; through this technology and project, we will be able to inform
physicians and patients quickly and accurately which will help in faster
diagnosis and hence faster and correct interventions,” he said.The new installation is part of the Centre of Excellence in
Microbiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship Project, a collaboration between Aga
Khan University Hospital and the bioMérieux Global Academy for Medical
Education.Dr Gunturu Revathi, head of Clinical Microbiology at AKUHN and Principal Investigator of the project, highlighted the broader national
impact. “Through this initiative, we will work with over 10 public
hospitals in Kenya to train multidisciplinary teams on antimicrobial
stewardship. The Vitek MS Prime will not only speed up diagnosis and care for
our patients but will also strengthen capacity across the public healthcare
system,” she said.