Me

Grandma

In October 2021, my beloved grandmother, Rose Nyarko, became seriously ill. Her chronic lower back pain, something initially dismissed as a symptom of aging, turned alarming as she grew weaker daily. Despite being treated for anemia in her local Ghanaian hospital for months, her condition deteriorated. We insisted on a blood test, which was sent to South Africa for comprehensive analysis. Two weeks later, we received a devastating diagnosis - multiple myeloma, a currently incurable blood cancer. Although early detection can lead to a higher 5-year survival rate compared to many cancers, in my grandmother's case, the diagnosis came too late and she passed away peacefully in January 2022.

My name is Nana Asante, and I'm a Ghanaian-American student at Swarthmore College. As someone who has experienced the challenges of navigating the healthcare system in both countries, I'm passionate about improving access to basic diagnostic tools for people across the world. Unfortunately, inadequate diagnostic care is all too common, affecting approximately 3.5 billion people globally, especially those in developing countries like Ghana and in rural areas. Limited resources and infrastructure make it difficult to provide adequate healthcare, even for highly qualified medical professionals. That's where Manso Medical comes in - we aim to bridge this gap and improve healthcare availability and quality. So, how do we plan to achieve this goal?

To address the issue of diagnostic healthcare in Africa and other rural communities, Manso Medical has developed a hub and spoke model. Our plan involves establishing a hub(s) - diagnostic labs - to receive and test samples (such as blood, urine, etc.) from collection points (spokes). Hubs will be located in major cities or growing towns. Meanwhile, the spokes – small outposts in rural areas – will work to collect diagnostic information and biological samples from nearby communities. These spokes will service vast rural areas, making it easy for people to visit the facility or have Manso Medical employees travel to them. Since the spokes only collect samples, the cost of operating many of them will be reduced, as they will not require advanced medical technology or extensive staff training. Manso Medical is dedicated to bringing quality healthcare to those who need it most so the diagnostic care is provided for free.

Manso Medical recognizes two more significant challenges facing healthcare systems today. The first is the fragmentation of healthcare delivery, resulting in increased medical errors, redundant tests, and delayed care. The second is the lack of continuity in medical information, which leads to inefficiencies in communication between healthcare providers and higher costs for patients and healthcare systems.

To address these issues, Manso Medical is developing a centralized platform to securely store and share patients' medical records in part provided through the diagnostic care we provide. This platform will enable healthcare professionals to access a consenting patient's medical history, including previous treatments, medications, and diagnoses, to make more informed decisions and provide better continuity of care. Access to this platform will be provided to clinics for a reasonable fee.

Manso Medical

500 College Ave

Swarthmore, PA 19801

Email: info@mansomedical.org