By Felix Katyetye
Mary Begg Health Services (MBHS) has become the first institution in Zambia and only the second in Africa, to acquire and implement a state-of-the-art Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (ID/AST) Microbiology Lab.
This advancement places Zambia on the map as a regional leader in cutting-edge healthcare diagnostics, following Algeria’s lead as the first country on the continent to adopt this technology.
In a statement shared on their official Facebook page Mary Begg said the new lab is set to revolutionize patient care in Zambia and that the ID/AST system allows for precise bacterial and fungal identification, as well as antibiotic susceptibility testing, significantly reducing the turnaround time for results from 14 days to just 48 hours.
“With the ability to load and analyze 64 samples simultaneously, the system also boasts an AI-driven interpretation model and an extensive database containing over 16,000 bacterial and 1,000 fungal strains,” the statement said.
Moreover, the lab’s advanced blood culture system can incubate and continuously monitor up to 60 samples, using specially designed bottles to neutralize antibiotics, enabling optimal bacterial growth. This will enhance the accuracy of diagnoses, ensuring faster and more effective treatment.
“This milestone underscores our commitment to improving patient outcomes, the fast turnaround and higher accuracy will greatly benefit patient care, as timely treatment decisions are critical,” the statement said.
The launch of this microbiology lab marks a significant step forward for Zambia, highlighting the growth and dedication of MBHS to providing world-class healthcare services
