THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan has called for need-based research and development activities in medical devices manufacturing. The Make in India campaign has had an impact on the medical devices sector, he said after inaugurating the Swasthya Suraksha Block at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) here on Saturday.
“Institutions in public and private sectors should undertake need-based R&D in medical devices and instrumentation. Despite being one of the top 20 markets for medical devices, the country lacks sufficient manufacturing,” he said.
“Large scale production and commercialisation of indigenous medical equipment are required so that citizens even in remote areas are benefited. Institutions like Sree Chitra should facilitate sound clinical trials of the devices and instruments so developed,” he said.
He called for a network of faculty from institutions like the IITs, engineering colleges, medical institutions and partners from industry for fruitful collaborations.
“Immediate attention should be given to low-cost diagnostic machines like MRI, CT, cardiac catheterisation laboratories and digital subtraction angiography machines,” he said. The minister also launched VISION-2030 document of SCTIMST, Combinational Devices Block, Regional Technical Resource Centre for Health Technology Assessment, data centre and the silver jubilee souvenir of Achutha Menon Centre.
National professor and founder-director of SCTIMST M S Valiathan called for a consortium of medical institutions and industry for the manufacturing of medical devices.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said Sree Chitra has a unique work culture where doctors take collective decisions.
The work of the medical park jointly planned with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation will begin this year, said SCTIMST president K M Chandrasekhar
P K Sreemathi MP, ex-MP Joy Abraham, O Rajagopal MLA, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Sunil Sharma, SCTIMST director Asha Kishore, and biomedical technology head P R Harikrishna Varma spoke.
Harsh Vardhan said he would extend all help for establishing a sub-centre of SCTIMST in Wayanad, if his government is reelected. “The current block will be completed in 2020. I’m happy to initiate steps for the sub-centre, if our government is in power,” he said. He was replying to a request by P K Sreemathi.