Rajesh Nair, CEO, Cryoviva Singapore
Incepted in 2013, Cryoviva Singapore is one of the leading private cord blood banks in Singapore. Cryoviva is part of an international group that is committed to helping every family realize the miracle of their baby’s umbilical cord blood and cord tissue stem cells. The company is backed by reputed international investors who had already established cord blood banking operations in some other markets in Asia, and it was natural for them to establish a presence in an advanced economy with a world-class healthcare infrastructure like Singapore.
Mr. Rajesh Nair, CEO of the company says, “Our company recognized that there was space for a family cord blood bank in Singapore, even if awareness about this service was still quite low. So, one of the key challenges was really about creating and spreading sufficient awareness about the potential of cord blood banking. We have made decent progress in that regard in these last 7-8 years, but we still have some way to go.”
Cryoviva offers cord blood and cord tissue banking services, which typically range from collection, testing, processing, storage, and transfer. It is the first and only family cord blood bank in Singapore to have received the AABB accreditation for both cord blood and cord tissue banking services. Cryoviva’s world-class processes and technologies are complemented by an excellent team of healthcare professionals who provide the requisite expertise to serve its clients.
Cord Blood– A Lifesaver
Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that have a higher potential for regeneration than adult bone marrow stem cells. It can be used for both the baby and other immediate family members. It is already used in the treatment of over 80 diseases/health conditions including blood disorders such as leukemia and thalassemia; considering the research and trials going on in this field, this may only go up. In many cases It has proven to be effective in treating patients with autism too.
“To put it in layman’s terms, stored cord blood or cord tissue can act as an insurance against unforeseen health adversities. Just like any health insurance, one hopes to never have to use it, but it may be a lifesaver if one needs it,”affirms Mr. Nair.
He reiterates that the use of stem cells for treatment is only going to grow, which is why cord blood banks have an even more important role to play in healthcare in the future.
Tackling Challenges with Determination and Excellence
As a new entrant in a relatively small but important market, Cryoviva faced many challenges initially. Among the major ones the company faced was creating awareness of the company as well as the concept of cord blood banking. Thanks to the group’s rich experience in this field and focused efforts, the company overcame this challenge reasonably well.
Today, Cryoviva is one of the leading family cord blood banks in Singapore with a rapidly growing customer base. Currently, the company is expanding internationally and helping families from Vietnam, UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, for example, to have their cord component storage in Singapore. As a group, Cryoviva has stored over 300,000 cord blood units and 300 billion MSC cells.
The most crucial thing that drives the company is delivering world-class quality processes, systems, and technologies. “We are committed to excellence and continuous improvement in everything we have to offer – whether it is in our product/service plans or benchmarking ourselves against top global standards,” shares Mr. Nair.
Transparency with the customers is another guiding principle of the company. Cryoviva’s customers are mostly couples who are either planning a family or already on the family way as the decision to store a baby’s cord blood and cord tissue has to be taken before the baby is born. The company aims to help families understand the long-term benefits of cord blood banking, why the value outweighs the costs, and why a timely decision now can make all the difference for the future. “Cord blood banking is a long-term relationship, typically spread over two decades. It is important for our customers to know that we are always there for them and that they can trust and rely on us,” says Mr. Rajesh.
Expanding Horizons
As stem cell research advances, Cryoviva is extremely optimistic about the future of cord blood banking. With a vision to make cord blood banking a critical life decision given its abundant medical potential, Cryoviva continues to invest in the latest technologies and refine its processes to deliver the highest quality service to customers.
Recently, the company has expanded geographically and established a footprint in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Vietnam and aspires to expand in other countries in South East Asia in the near future.