LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Meet IDH Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, a leading consumer diagnostic healthcare company in Africa and the Middle East
Dr. Hend El Sherbini holds the position of CEO of IDH-Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, a leading consumer diagnostic healthcare company in Africa and the Middle East with operations in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Nigeria. Dr. El Sherbini's experience is not only limited to her position as CEO, but she is also a professor of clinical pathology at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University and currently sits on the board of American Society of Clinical Pathology (Egypt) and consults on the international certification process. She received her MBBCh, Masters in Clinical and Chemical Pathology, PhD in Immunology from BBC by Cairo University, and an Executive MBA from London Business School.
“One should have self confidence, perseverance and belief that with hard work and dedication you will succeed.” — Dr. Hend El Sherbini
Dr. Hend El Sherbini joined IDH in 2012 when the company was formed following the merger of Al Mokhtabar and Al Borg Laboratories. Dr. El Sherbini, who had led Al Mokhtabar since 2004, took the company public on the London Stock Exchange in 2015. LoA had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Hend El Sherbini this month to find out more about her inspirational entrepreneurial journey to date and her vision for the future.
When did your start your business?
IDH started as a family business/a single-doctor lab in 1979. I joined in 2001.
What does your company do?
IDH is one of the leading fully-integrated providers of high-quality medical diagnostic services in the Middle East and Africa with operations in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Nigeria. Today the business has 4500 employees.
What inspired you to start your company?
IDH was founded as a single-doctor lab by my mother in 1979. She wanted to offer high-calibre immunology and diagnostic testing to the Egyptian market in an easy and accessible way. Our first lab specialized in immunology and new techniques in diagnostic testing. I came back to work in the lab after completing my medical studies overseas. When I joined in 2001, I wanted to scale the company up and make it a permanent institution. I wanted to expand our services across Egypt, so that our patients don’t have to travel to Cairo. Back then, there was not a lot of testing done in Egypt; most samples were sent abroad because people didn’t trust Egyptian tests. But testing abroad is expensive and slow. I wanted to change that through IDH. So we moved our testing in-house and focused on international accreditation, achieving gold standard levels of accreditation. We started adding new units to accommodate the now 1,400 tests we do in-house. We’ve brought doctors and professors in-house to guarantee our level of quality. We opened branches across the country. We have more than 400 sites across Egypt.
What makes your business, service or product special?
IDH grew from a single lab in Egypt in 1979 to over 450 points of presence to become the largest – by far - diagnostic provider in Egypt with footprint in Sudan, Jordan and Nigeria. IDH offers more than 1,400 international-standard diagnostics tests. Last year, we performed nearly 30 million tests for well over 7.5 million patients. Our success stems from our unwavering commitment to quality and the provision of best-in-class diagnostic services. We obtained the College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation in 2010 and we are currently the sole operator of a CAP-accredited facility in Egypt, widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance globally. Our commitment to our core values of providing patient-focused care, supporting and enhancing our medical staff’s education and training, and acquiring and sharing information effectively -- all while developing and strengthening our relationships with patients, employees, and business partners. IDH is also bound to its ethical values that emphasize integrity and fairness, as it strives for superior operational and financial performance.
Tell us a little about your team
IDH enjoys a management team with several decades of healthcare experience, while its world-class Board of Directors is composed of experts in healthcare, investing and the MENA region.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My mother - a Professor of Immunology at Cairo University - founded a single-doctor lab back in 1979. I joined my mother’s business in 2001 after finishing my medical studies overseas, I scaled the company up and made it a permanent institution. I wanted to expand our services across Egypt, so that our patients don’t have to travel to Cairo. Back then, there was not a lot of testing done in Egypt; most samples were sent abroad because people didn’t trust Egyptian tests. But testing abroad is expensive and slow. I wanted to change that through IDH. So we moved our testing in-house and focused on international accreditation, achieving gold standard levels of accreditation. We are the only lab in Egypt accredited by the College of American Pathologists and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). We started adding new units to accommodate the now 1,400 tests we do in-house. We’ve brought doctors and professors in-house to guarantee our level of quality. We opened branches across the country. We have more than 400 sites across Egypt.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
IDH aims to be a leading healthcare provider in every community and region that it serves, becoming every doctor and patient’s first choice for quality, accurate diagnostic testing, and cost-effective services. IDH is focused to expand in its core market through opening new branches in prime locations in addition to investing in adjacent businesses that would complement pathology and radiology. Moreover, IDH is also actively exploring potential opportunities in neighbouring countries in Africa and the Middle East.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
To be able to serve as many patients as possible with the highest quality.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?:
One should have self confidence, perseverance and belief that with hard work and dedication you will succeed.
To find out more about IDH, contact ceo Hend El Sherbini via email: hend.elsherbini@idhcorp.com or visit the company website: http://www.idhcorp.com
