Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

The National Digital Health Blueprint, recently introduced by the Government, is a call for attention on the optimum use of data and analytics for a healthier India. With the aim of creating a digital health ecosystem based on international standards, the Government intends to build on the core digital health data of its citizens and the infrastructure required for its seamless exchange.   A typical scene at the OPD of any hospital is of the patients waiting for their turn with a file of health records. What becomes important is to ensure that all previous health records are carried by the patient. Or imagine another situation where a patient is brought into the emergency ward and the relatives don’t know about the exact past history or the allergies of the patient. Now imagine that in either of these two situations, you just provide an identification number and your treating doctor gets an access to your past health history, all at the click of a button. That is ex...

Though there are several positives, when you view the fine print, the proposed policy initiatives are a far cry from creating an attractive environment for the domestic production of medical devices as well as catalyzing R&D. As a member of the healthcare industry I am happy that through the interim budget, the Government has announced its intent to continue to focus on building a healthier India. The healthcare sector has got a boost with nearly 13% hike in the health budget, the highest in the last two financial years. An allocation of Rs. 6400 crores towards Ayushman Bharat, commissioning of the 22nd AIIMS centre and setting up of health and wellness centres, are all positive moves that are set to bring in a new wave of health transformation especially for the lower and middle class families. Artificial Intelligence - harnessing the benefits of new age technology The announcement to set up a National Artificial Intelligence portal will lay further emphasis on techn...

Clinical lab automation is growing in India; however, its impact on patient care is yet to be felt fully as only a small percentage of laboratories are fully automated. With the various Government initiatives for providing a better healthcare landscape, it will be interesting to see how lab automation can make the difference! With Ayushman Bharat becoming the most trending topic of 2018 in the Indian healthcare arena, all eyes are set on how the health ministry meets the promise of providing free diagnostics to the beneficiaries in secondary and tertiary healthcare set-up. Though diagnostics is at the centre of healthcare delivery, it is ironical that in a country like India, 70% population has never got their blood tested. In such a scenario, providing affordable diagnostics, leave alone free diagnostics, poses the biggest challenge. One thing is clear, to entitle affordable healthcare to 50 crore citizens, the government is joining hands with the industry. Which means, once...

In the first edition of this blog, we evaluated the impact of EDL on the healthcare system. The Indian IVD manufacturers have an important role to play along with the health ministry to ensure that EDL truly benefits the patients at large. In this concluding series let us evaluate the same: In addition to the healthcare sector, an EDL will also have a significant impact on the IVD manufacturing industry: An EDL, by listing country/region specific needs, could help develop target product profiles (TPPs) . A TPP provides details on the minimum and optimal performance and operational characteristics of priority diagnostic tests. Researchers and manufacturers use TPPs to ensure that R&D activities are focused on relevant products to meet the needs of end users. Moreover, an EDL is prepared taking into consideration, target users, intended use, infrastructural requirement, sample type and volume, sample handling, performance, diagnostic testing algorithm, etc. Thus, an IVD ma...

WHO’s latest announcement on introducing an Essential Diagnostic List further emphasizes the need to widen the reach of important diagnostic tests for timely disease management. The good news is India has taken the lead to develop its own National EDL. What needs to be seen is how the government and the industry come together to integrate the EDL to further boost the efforts towards a Healthier India. The impact of global warming is not just on our melting glaciers. The rampant spread in infectious diseases, both new and old; has become a big concern for the healthcare specialists. Gone are the days when malaria was associated only with monsoons. Weather variations bring with it the unpredictable onset of host of diseases, further pushing the health machinery into action to contain the spread. The recent outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, once again highlights the crucial role played by diagnostic tests for the precise and early detection of emerging diseases. Clinici...