First Lady Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo has congratulated Sysmex Corporation of Japan for their ability to manufacture essential hospital and laboratory equipment needed in diagnosing and treating otherwise complicated diseases, stating, that with the constant manifestation of new illnesses and mutation of old ones, the world would look to companies like Sysmex to develop new diagnostic and curative tools to combat diseases.

The First Lady made the comment when she paid a working visit to the Company’s headquarters in Kobe, Japan where she was taken on a tour and shown various types of advanced diagnostic and curative medical equipment manufactured by the company.

Of particular interest to the First Lady was the new Sysmex XN-30 Analyser for the rapid, automated and accurate detection and quantitation of parasite-infected red blood cells.

Utilizing fluorescence flow cytometry, the XN-30’s objective enumeration of red blood cells infected with Plasmodium species, without any interference from the presence of other abnormal red blood cell indices ensures efficient monitoring of the malaria parasite load once therapy has been initiated.

Additionally, the Sysmex XN-30’s ability of an automated generation of a full blood count for each sample provides an opportunity for the detection of unsuspected cases thus identifying asymptomatic carriers, which makes it useful in blood transfusion centres, as it will prevent the spread of diseases.

Speaking after the tour, Mrs Akufo-Addo the Sysmex’s XN-30 Analyser is in consonance with her passion for prevention, treatment and eradication of malaria.

She said she was optimistic of close collaboration between Sysmex Corporation and The Rebecca Foundation.

The First Lady also expressed her immense gratitude to Sysmex Corporation for its collaboration with JICA to install a state-of-the-art automated urinalyses equipment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) valued at almost Eighty-three thousand Euros, and the first of its kind in West Africa.

The equipment is able to analyse in excess of 1,200 urine and other body fluid samples daily with accurate and more specific results of the biochemical contents of samples thus making KATH the hub for expedited and specific diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases in West Africa.

Mrs Akufo-Addo called for continuous collaboration between Sysmex Corporation and the Ghana government as well as other humanitarian and Non-Governmental Organisations to introduce modern diagnostic and curative medical equipment in health facilities in the country, and make them especially accessible, in deprived communities.

The First Lady was accompanied by Ghana’s High Commissioner to Japan, H.E. Ambassador Fred Okyere, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon, Charles Owiredu.