Nigeria-based Kasi Healthcare and China-based Shenzhen Le Medical Technology have sealed a partnership to launch Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for West African offshore and aeromedical environments.
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that can be used to treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped working.
The launch was finalised with a signing ceremony and a demonstration of the AED equipment in Lagos.
Dayo Osholowu, the Medical Director of Kasi Healthcare, said the partnership underscored a shared commitment to advancing aeromedical, offshore, and emergency training across West Africa.
Osholowu noted that the initiative would make life-saving interventions more accessible in critical situations, particularly in remote areas.
Speaking on the importance of AED equipment, Osholowu emphasised that the introduction of these devices would enhance the capacity to manage sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in emergency settings.
“This groundbreaking partnership will provide access to AEDs and telemedicine-enabled devices for injured persons during the golden hour, including transport for stroke victims, heart attack patients, and traumatic injuries with complications.
“The programme will prioritise training local doctors, nurses, and paramedics, creating jobs and building long-term capacity within the region.
“We have launched the ADAC HEMS Academy Training Site in Nigeria, offering the American Heart Association portfolio of courses and crew training,” Osholowu said.
Highlighting challenges in the sector, Osholowu stated that technology plays a major role in the development of aeromedical and offshore services.
“One of the gaps in healthcare in Nigeria is technology. We have good health professionals, which is why dozens of them leave the country every month and start working immediately.
“One of the most important aspects of healthcare training is practice. We have a huge population, and many doctors in Nigeria have seen more patients than their counterparts in some other countries.
“Many people have never seen an AED. I don’t think I saw one throughout my medical school. It was only after I left medical school that I encountered an AED. There is a significant gap in technology and training to use the technology,” he said.
He further explained that the AED in Kasi Healthcare Academy intended to train healthcare professionals and ensure that the technology becomes available.
He pointed out that in other countries, laws mandate the presence of AED equipment in places where more than 100 people gather. This is not yet the case in Nigeria, except in structured industries like oil and gas and aviation.
Osholowu added that the firm would be focusing on public safety in general, with a strategic emphasis on the aviation and oil and gas industries.
He said that Kasi Healthcare Engineering and Consulting Unit would offer after-sales support and help with a dedicated engineering team to install and service the devices.
Osholowu mentioned that the equipment is affordable, user-friendly, and has a five-year battery life, with servicing required at intervals.
Jessy Dong, the Manager of Shenzhen Le Medical Technology, said that the company plans to set up a warehouse in Nigeria soon.
Dong explained that this step would ensure the availability of the equipment as well as other medical devices, with Kasi Healthcare providing after-sales services.
Kasi Healthcare had earlier partnered with Nest Aviation Ltd. to launch an air ambulance service for offshore and aerospace, with Nestav providing a King Air Aircraft equipped with a trained aeromedical team from Kasi Healthcare’s Offshore and Aeromedical Unit.
