Pioneering Breakthrough in Healthcare for Everyone, Everywhere, Sustainably

Imagine a future where your healthcare not only improves your well-being but also takes care of the environment. Siemens Healthineers and Premier Integrated Labs are making this vision a reality.

Through their recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), they aim to forge a path towards a more environmentally responsible healthcare industry, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and improving patient healthcare.

Present at the signing ceremony were Kenny Lam, Executive Vice President, Head of Diagnostics Asia Pacific, Siemens Healthineers, Rod Frazer, Country Head, Malaysia, Siemens Healthineers, Mohd Hareeff Muhammed, CEO of Premier Integrated Labs, Kam Teck Kuen, Head of Operations, Premier Integrated Labs and other officials.

Reinventing laboratories

Siemens Heathineers has been in Malaysia for nearly forty years, helping diagnostic laboratories enhance efficiency and flexibility through automation and IT solutions. In Malaysia, they have upgraded diagnostic labs with advanced telecast solutions and smart automation. This initiative resulted in a remarkable reduction in water consumption by over half, saving more than 175,000 liters of fresh water.

These improvements also reduced energy consumption and carbon footprint, resulting in significant cost savings. Importantly, these savings were achieved without compromising the lab's performance. In fact, during peak times, Siemens Healthineers tripled their testing capacity and achieved a fourfold increase in turnaround speed.

By constantly bringing breakthrough innovations to the market, Siemens Healthineers enables healthcare professionals to deliver high-quality care, leading to the best possible outcome for patients.

Kenny Lam, Executive Vice President, Head of Diagnostics Asia Pacific, Siemens Healthineers said, “Through this strategic partnerships, we are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of laboratory medicine by addressing energy consumption, water usage, and waste management. By leveraging Premier Integrated Labs' comprehensive laboratory services and Siemens Healthineers' technology, we aim to deliver top-tier diagnostic solutions while championing environmental sustainability”.

“Healthcare operations consume significant amounts of electricity, particularly in laboratories and through extensive use of biohazard materials. Reducing carbon footprints, water consumption, and waste management is critical. By leveraging advanced technologies, we aim to minimize these environmental impacts,” he added.

Assisting labs in achieving their sustainability goals

Energy Consumption: Reduce power and water utilisation via efficient analyzer design.

Streamline waste management: Adopted sustainable methods, Separate recyclable waste Materials and Safely dispose of hazardous materials

Sustainable Materials: Minimise packaging, Reduce the use of plastics, Eliminate and replace harmful chemicals

Virtual Maintenance: Utilise remote service delivery to reduce carbon emissions

Advancing Healthcare Sustainably
Premier Integrated Labs is a leading medical diagnostic laboratory that provides a comprehensive range of laboratory services across Malaysia. Operating 33 labs across Malaysia, the lab follows a hub-and-spoke model with a reference lab as the hub and smaller labs as spokes.

Hareeff Muhammed, Chief Executive Officer, Premier Integrated Labs said, "When selecting a partner, we prioritised that our partner meets these three criteria: efficient service delivery, fast turnaround times and reliability, along with a robust system, all of which Siemens Healthineers was capable of delivering.”

“Based on our pilot project together, we have achieved a reduction in tons of CO2 emissions, directly contributing to mitigating global warming. For instance, reducing one metric ton of CO2 emissions is equivalent to preventing the emission of approximately the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving an average car for about 2,500 miles. In terms of forests, this reduction is comparable to the carbon sequestration capacity of about 50 to 100 mature trees per year,” Hareeff explained.

Collaborative Logistics Solutions
“Transportation and logistics also play a significant role in our sustainability efforts. Ensuring that supplies are transported under controlled conditions without excessive packaging can significantly reduce waste. This requires validating supply chains and investing in necessary facilities, especially in regions with unpredictable climates, like Malaysia. By working together with partners and leveraging advanced technologies, the healthcare industry can significantly reduce its environmental impact,” said Kenny.

Sustainable healthcare is about more than just cutting costs; it's about improving efficiency, reliability, and environmental responsibility. Through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions, we can achieve long-term sustainability in healthcare, ensuring better care for patients and a healthier planet for future generations.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

Interested in having your press releases, exclusive interviews, or branded content articles on Malaysiakini? For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected].