Hong Kong NAT Launch Ceremony
HKRCBTS and Chiron celebrate the opening of the new Hong Kong NAT lab
On the morning of April 16th, 2007, Ms. Ellis Chan, Medical Technologist of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (HKRCBTS) walked into a brand new NAT laboratory and turned on the PROCLEIX® TIGRIS® System to mark the start of in-house NAT routine screening of HIV-1, HCV & HBV.
HKRCBTS is responsible for the entire blood supply in Hong Kong from collection to distribution, processing on average of 200,000 blood donations per annum. HKRCBTS has always adopted the latest and most suitable technologies to ensure the people of Hong Kong have access to the safest possible blood.
The lab began NAT screening in 2002 by outsourcing the service to Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS). During the five years of collaboration with the ARCBS, approximately one million Hong Kong blood donations were screened for HIV-1 & HCV by the Chiron PROCLEIX® HIV-1/HCV Assay. As a result, two HIV-1 NAT+/Anti-HIV- samples were identified.
In Hong Kong, a known HBV endemic area, the adoption of HBV NAT to further improve blood safety was a natural progression. While planning to add HBV NAT into its testing strategy, HKRCBTS also had plans to establish its own NAT laboratory with the support from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.
After a meticulous technology evaluation and extensive market scanning, followed by an open tender, Chiron was very grateful to receive the opportunity to continue working with HKRCBTS and to implement the PROCLEIX TIGRIS System in Hong Kong.
Chiron immediately formed a dedicated team to oversee the project from instrument installation, validation, to operator training. Lab construction commenced in November 2006 and five months later, HKRCBTS and Chiron celebrated the launch of a brand new NAT laboratory. Representatives from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority also attended the ceremony to congratulate the team on their successful implementation and HKRCBTS on their continual stride in ensuring a safe blood supply in Hong Kong.
After three months' experience in running PROCLEIX TIGRIS System, Dr. Wai-Chiu Tsoi, Head of Laboratory Department, comments, "Full automation has simplified testing procedures and enabled us to perform over over samples individually every day without any impact to our normal blood release schedule."
The success in Hong Kong only marks the beginning of the Asia Pacific PROCLEIX TIGRIS System implementation plan this year.