Kas Medics China Visit: Strengthening Supplier Partnerships

In late October, Dominic Mbithi and two key customers traveled to Shenzhen to attend the Snibe International Symposium on Immunoassay. The annual event, supported by the IFCC, gathers specialists from around the world to explore advances in laboratory medicine. For Kas Medics, this wasn’t just another conference–Snibe has been one of our most important diagnostic suppliers for years, and maintaining a strong relationship with them is essential to our long-term strategy in Tanzania.

Kas covered travel and per diem for our guests, while Snibe arranged accommodation and local logistics. The invitees–Eliezer Kone from Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital and Prof. Martha Mushi from CUHAS University & Bugando Medical Centre–were chosen because of their leadership roles and their influence over equipment decisions in their institutions.

Over three days, the group attended technical sessions, toured Snibe’s facilities, and engaged directly with the engineers and product specialists behind the machines. But the most meaningful turning point came during site visits to hospitals already using Snibe systems. Seeing the machines at work, understanding the workflow, and speaking with lab teams who rely on them daily made a stronger impression than any pitch could. By the end of the trip, both customers were openly supportive of the technology and committed to championing Snibe solutions within their networks.

Dominic also visited other long-term partners during the trip–including Urit, Seamaty, Sonoscape, and Hearty Expressions–to stay updated on developments in hematology, chemistry, imaging, and AI microscopy. Trips like this help ensure Kas Medics stays aligned with suppliers who are pushing diagnostic technology forward.

The real takeaway from this visit is simple: strong supplier relationships don’t happen by accident. They’re built through consistent engagement, mutual trust, and giving customers the chance to see the value of these partnerships firsthand. When customers witness the technology on the ground and leave convinced of its reliability, it strengthens both sides–Snibe gains advocates, and Kas Medics secures long-term business built on credibility rather than persuasion.

Mawenzi Hospital is now preparing to bring in a full set of Snibe laboratory machines, and discussions with Bugando Medical Centre are already underway for a larger system. Looking ahead, plans are in motion to bring representatives from the Ministry of Health, POLARG, MSD, and additional clients to the next Snibe Day in early 2026. If policymakers see the same value our customers did, it could open the door to broader adoption across government hospitals.