India, signatory of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) has
huge commitment towards accomplishment of health care related issues. Under MDG, three out of eight goals, six out
of 21 targets, 18 out of 60 indicators pertain to medical care. Medical
technology is the way forward for effective delivery of health services. The
burgeoning need for innovation, in particular in medical technology has become
indispensable for emerging economies. Frugal innovations promising better
clinical outcomes with less invasive procedures and quicker recovery are
essential for emerging economies like India. India suffers from the burden of
diseases and Harvard School of Public Health estimates that country’s economic
losses due to non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart diseases and
stroke between 2012 and 2030 will be $6.2 trillion. This colossal loss to the exchequer
is unprecedented.
Innovative solutions in medical technology can improve access
to health care, reduce medical errors, provide effective therapies with shorter
duration of hospitalisation, monitor therapies to ensure compliance and perform
diagnosis early thus effectively bringing down expenses in health care sector. Nearly
730 million living in rural areas still denied of affordable medical care can
benefit from these innovative solutions. As per the medical technology
innovation score card developed by PWC, for the nine countries- US, UK,
Germany, France, Japan, quasi-developed economies Israel, China, India and
Brazil. India is ranked 8th in innovation higher than Brazil but
lower than China and has highest commercialisation opportunity. This clearly
indicates a compelling need for medical technology innovation to meet demands
of the local market.
To meet the growing demand for affordable medical services
emerging countries must make greater investments in R&D for building the
necessary infrastructure for future. They are endowed with human capital needed
for multi-disciplinary research and need more support from the investment
community. The Medical sector demands in India fall into three categories –
Medical equipment constituting 55% of market share, medical implants, 25% Medical disposables and furniture 20%. The
Indian medical technology industry is set to grow form $US billion 2.75 in 2008
to US $14 billion by 2015.
Unfortunately, seeds of self-reliance in the field of medical
technology weren’t sown in India post independence. With the result, innovation
in medical technology has taken a back seat. In spite of high excise duties,
India continues to import nearly 80% of its medical equipment. Although 65% of
indigenous products are exported India is unable to supplant the need for
medical technology as newer technologies are being launched in advanced
countries at a much quicker pace.
A silent medical technology revolution aimed at transforming
the quality of medical services and its reach is underway. Currently Indian
companies are developing state-of-the-art medical devices that require
substantial innovation. Innovative, elegantly designed, affordable devices are
adding value to the existing medical systems and making them simpler, cheaper
and more accessible to common man. Several mobile apps that can quickly
reference the dosages, brand names, and availability in India are the results
of the avant-garde work carried out in medical device innovation.
It is heartening that newer tie ups and initiatives in the field
of biomedical research is offering a new ray of hope. Portable, scalable,
authentic medical devices are making inroads in India. Innovative technologies
aimed for Indian markets should take into consideration the encumbrances in
Indian scenario. Firstly, the disease profile of India is different. Second,
high temperatures together with high humidity and dust laden conditions propel
the need for an innovation tailored for Indian conditions. Third, lack of
reliable and stable power supply spurs for technology that is Indianized with
reliable deliverance for Indian conditions.
Since the penetration of health
insurance is very poor all costs are borne out of pocket. Further, frugal
innovation and sustained performance under constrained conditions is needed for
cost- conscious Indian patients. An Indian start-ups Indio labs, have come up
with low-cost, portable liver biopsy device. It is an affordable alternative
for the expensive liver biopsies, a gold standard for diagnosing liver
diseases. SKL Medtech, earlier, a textile manufacturing company emboldened by
rapid growth in Indian health care market ventured into medical technology to
develop new devices. It developed an advanced antibiotic wound dressing that
can kill microbes and provide good healing environment as well. Sizeable
numbers of Indian players are in fray and making leads in the medical
technology market.
Indian Health care market presently valued $79 billion is
projected to increase to $158.2 billion by 2017. Augured by rapid growth
projectile, Government is promoting
investments in medical innovation in the form of Technopreneur Promotion
Programme of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Besides, two centres
for developing medical devices were set up in Chennai and Delhi. IIT Madras in
collaboration with Department of Biotechnology jointly developed a Centre,
Health Care Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) at Chennai. Apart from offering
help to companies in designing new products it
develops its own products. It developed a cardiac imaging system which
measures arterial stiffness, an important diagnostic procedure of
cardiovascular diseases non-invasively. Other contributions include a mobile
eye surgical unit and a software platform Eye-Pac which can diagnose five major
eye diseases. At the centre in Delhi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) and IIT Delhi work in collaboration Stanford University. Since its
existence of four years, it transferred seven technologies. Under the
Stanford-India Bio Design Programme (SIB), four persons are funded every year –
a doctor, en engineer, a designer and a business man for training programme at
Stanford University. Nearly all SIB fellows have started their own business
ventures and so far they developed 22 devices. Some of them are very novel
ideas and such products don’t exist anywhere in the world.
Realising the growing potential for medical devices in Indian
market, major international players have set up their research wings in India. GE’s
John F Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore set up in 2002 launched its first
portable ECG machine suited for Indian rural setup. Others include Stryker
Corporation’s R&D in Gurgaon, Philips Innovation Campus in Bangalore,
Johnson & Johnson Centre for Medical Devices at Mumbai.
Success in medical innovation is dependent on five
pillars-powerful financial incentives, creating capacity for quality research,
supportive regulatory system, demand and supply of health services, supportive
investment community. It is reassuring that Indian start-up and small companies
backed by multi-disciplinary scientific think-tanks are building up a sturdy
research ecosystem. They are eventually delivering sterling innovations in the
form of devices which are portable, cheaper and user-friendly ideal for the
rural areas. Fledging Indian health care market, having realised the importance
of all the needed pre-requisites is striving hard to create an atmosphere for
launch of more innovative technologies in future.
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