The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ms. Leni Chigbu of Cassona Healthcare Group recently visited Medbot's Shanghai facility to explore a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The visit focused on the potential establishment of Robotic Surgery Training Centers and Centers of Excellence, designed to deliver high-quality, minimally invasive surgical procedures while building local clinical capacity in emerging healthcare markets.

As one of the most populous regions in the world, West Africa remains significantly underserved in the adoption of advanced medical technologies such as surgical robotics. This gap presents both a challenge and a major opportunity to transform healthcare delivery by introducing cutting-edge solutions that are already widely utilized in more developed healthcare systems.

Through this initiative, Cassona Healthcare Group aims to address one of the region's key healthcare challenges—medical tourism—by enabling patients to access advanced surgical care within their home countries. By deploying cutting-edge robotic surgery systems and developing specialized training programs, the partnership seeks to significantly reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment.

Cassona Healthcare Group expressed strong encouragement at the capabilities of Medbot's technology, which enables advanced surgical procedures to be performed remotely across continents—from Beijing to São Paulo—demonstrating the future of global surgical collaboration.

Another key priority for Cassona Healthcare Group is addressing one of the region's most critical healthcare challenges—the shortage of skilled medical professionals. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the limited number of specialist surgeons often results in delays in accessing life-saving procedures. For instance, a patient requiring emergency surgery in Kano, Nigeria, may face a delay of 6 to 12 hours while waiting for a specialist to travel from Lagos.

Through the deployment of advanced robotic surgical systems, this gap can be significantly reduced. With robotic-assisted technology, a surgeon based in Lagos can perform complex procedures remotely in real time, eliminating critical delays and improving patient outcomes. This model of care, already widely adopted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and China, represents a transformative opportunity for healthcare delivery in Africa.

Cassona Healthcare Group also highlighted the strong global positioning of Medbot, noting that its flagship Toumai® surgical robot has achieved nearly 80 installations worldwide, with commercial orders exceeding 100 units. The system is currently deployed across nearly 40 countries, with market access in over 60 countries and regions globally, spanning Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. As the No.1 surgical robotics company in China and among the top globally—second only to the U.S.-based Da Vinci system, Medbot's rapid international expansion underscores the reliability, scalability, and advanced capabilities of its technology.

A core component of the collaboration is the development of structured training programs for young doctors and surgeons, equipping them with the skills required to perform robotic-assisted procedures. This approach is expected to not only improve surgical outcomes but also strengthen local healthcare systems by fostering a new generation of highly skilled medical professionals.

The initiative aligns with Cassona's broader vision of delivering comprehensive healthcare solutions across the region, combining advanced technology, infrastructure development, and human capital investment to create sustainable healthcare ecosystems.

By integrating minimally invasive surgical capabilities with training and innovation, the proposed Centers of Excellence are expected to play a transformative role in improving patient outcomes, enhancing surgical precision, and positioning Sub-Saharan Africa as a growing hub for advanced medical care.

About Cassona Healthcare Group
Cassona Healthcare Group is a leading healthcare solutions provider committed to delivering innovative, accessible, and affordable healthcare across Sub-Saharan Africa. The company specializes in advanced diagnostic technologies, medical equipment distribution, and healthcare infrastructure development.

About Medbot
Medbot is a leading surgical robotics company and the top provider of surgical robotic systems in China, ranked second globally in the field of robotic-assisted surgery. The company's systems are deployed in nearly 40 countries, with market access in over 60 regions worldwide, supporting advanced surgical procedures across multiple specialties.