Sunrise Diagnostic Centre Limited
Enhancing Public Health in Hong Kong

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, Sunrise Diagnostic Centre emerged as a pillar of support by proactively contributing to outbreak containment. The company established a state-ofthe- art nucleic acid testing facility known as the “Huo-Yan Laboratory,” capable of performing 20,000 daily COVID-19 nucleic acid tests (NAT) in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the global outbreak. After the pandemic, the Sunrise remains dedicated to serving the people of Hong Kong, where it focuses on delivering clinical diagnostic services to enhance public health.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our laboratory and team demonstrated adeptness in conducting largescale screenings, affirming our robust testing capabilities. From now on, our focus remains on precision healthcare services, providing the public with comprehensive health screenings, early tumour screenings, and companion diagnostic,” says Christina To, laboratory director of Sunrise Diagnostic Centre.

The availability of advanced technology accumulation and testing equipment enables it to conduct comprehensive health assessment and cancer screening tests. The all-inclusive health check-ups, which include screening services for hypertension, hepatitis, diabetes, thyroid hormones, liver function and renal function, have become particularly significant in Hong Kong due to its rising elderly population. Sunrise Diagnostic Centre further offers testing to detect allergies, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases.

Simultaneously, Sunrise provides two self-sampling kits for the early detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and colorectal cancer, termed SENTIS and COLOTECT, respectively. These accurate and noninvasive test kits can be easily assembled, allowing users to collect relevant samples at home. The test facilitates the identification of HPV genotype and precancerous lesions that determine colorectal cancer. The firm recommends seeking immediate medical consultation in the event of positive test results. Local universities have validated these self-sampling kits, affirming their accuracy and ease of use.

A proficient medical lab team, including lab assistants and experienced Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs), is the key to Sunrise’s efficient and precise diagnostic services. Lab assistants help MLT operate more efficiently and quickly by completing the patient registration process and entering relevant patient data. The technologists, proficient in four medical disciplines—hematology, chemical chemistry, microbiology, and molecular pathology—are categorized as MLT1 or MLT2 based on their experience. While MLT2 professionals focus on routine clinical testing, MLT1 specialists guide throughout the testing process and are authorized to sign out clinical reports for public customers.

The synchronized team performance proved pivotal during the COVID-19 outbreak when the diagnostic centre’s laboratory received an enormous influx of samples daily. The employees were assigned various duties like logistics supervision, sampling centre coordination, sample processing, result analysis and data processing, reporting and laboratory management. A laboratory information system was also used to input data, which streamlined the workflow from registration to reporting. The efficient teamwork enabled the diagnostics centre to process 200,000 samples daily.

Following the success of its diagnostic services, Sunrise intends to promote the widespread use of genetic technology in fields including personalized genomics and cancer genomics, contributing to global betterment. This steadfast commitment to serving the public enabled Sunrise Diagnostic Centre to earn the title of “Hong Kong’s Most Outstanding Business in 2022.”