The objective was to converge all the stakeholders from the government and private sector at a common platform and facilitate discussions on the challenges within the medical device industry
Health technologies including medicines, vaccines, and medical devices are an indispensable component of an effective healthcare system. Among these technologies, medical devices provide the foundation for prevention, diagnosis, treatment of illness and disease, and rehabilitation.
The availability, accessibility, and effective use of essential medical devices play an important role in the achievement of health system performance goals and the cost and quality of medical care that a population receives. While local production of technology is one potential way to increase access to medical devices, additional research is needed to understand how to create an adequate environment that will transfer the benefits of innovations and technologies to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
Some of the key challenges that Indian medical device industry faces are weak regulatory framework, unfavourable duty structure for imports and exports, developing affordable products, increasing labour productivity skills, high capital cost, poor public health infrastructure, and approval delays. In order to address some of these challenges and keeping in mind the aim to promote innovation and boosting manufacturing, which will empower Indian Medical Device Industry, ASSOCHAM organised Indian Medical Device Summit on December 19, 2014, New Delhi.
The objective was to converge all the stakeholders from the government and private sector at a common platform and facilitate discussions on the challenges within the medical device industry, focusing on policies and regulation, growth, innovation, manufacturing, quality, compliance, and R&D with an aim to achieve sustainable growth and development by promoting innovation and boosting manufacturing in the country.
Some of the key speakers at the conference were Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (BJP), Member standing committee on Health and family welfare, V K Subburaj, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Dr K L Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, Ravi Capoor, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Sudhanshu Pandey, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Dr Jitendar Sharma, Head Division of Healthcare Technology National Health Systems Resource Centre, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Vineet Gupta, Director Corporate Affairs GE India Industrial Private Ltd, Dr G S K Velu, Founder and MD, Trivitron Group of Companies, Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED), Dr G. D Agrawal, Director, G. Surgiwear Ltd, R. K. Narang utive Director, Allengers, Manoj Singh CEO & MD, Divlabs Healthcare Private Limited.
Inaugurating the Indian Medical Devices Summit 2014 organised by ASSOCHAM, Dr V K Subburaj, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, said that the Task Force constituted by the government to look into difficulties faced by medical devices sector in India will come out with its recommendations in about two months time.
Hinting at the solution for the slow growth of medical devices manufacturing Dr V K Subburaj said “The modalities will be looked at to see that the recommendations are implemented, a conducive atmosphere is created and the tax structure is rationalized so that the country develops in this sectorâ€.
Stressing on the need for a change in the prevailing scenario it was mentioned that the Government is determined to provide lot of employment opportunities to the youth biotechnologists, engineers and others. It was also highlighted that India as a nation cannot afford to have an economy where we import everything to handle our healthcare and that is why we need to boost local manufacturing.
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