Medical technology plays an important role to improve patient outcome and has helped people lead healthier lives. However, it is important that the Government takes steps to improve access to innovative medical devices
Healthcare access, awareness, affordability and quality have become major concerns for India’s healthcare sector. High costs of healthcare facilities, services, drugs and devices pose a challenge to millions of Indians. Many do not receive quality treatment because they are in rural areas where access to healthcare services is constrained by a weak infrastructure and lack of trained clinical manpower. Poor doctor-patient ratio, lack of paramedical staff and debilitating hygiene and living conditions also breed more disease.
However, medical devices can help overcome these challenges. The industry has witnessed major advancements in the past decade. Medical technology, equipment and devices continue to play an important role to improve patient outcome and have helped people lead healthier lives. They are providing significant value by reducing mortality and morbidity across a wide variety of disease conditions.
India has a major chronic disease burden that is affecting a significant chunk of the working population. Not only is it leading to loss of human and economic resources in the long-term, but it is also hampering work output and productivity. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic pulmonary diseases and cancer are some of the leading causes of death in our country. Assessing India’s current health profile, medical devices are a life saving solution to these key chronic conditions where pharmacological management alone may not be enough.
As a result of a surge in cardiovascular diseases, there has been an increase in the number of patients who are in need of angioplasty and stenting. Today, both these procedures are offering life enhancing as well as life-saving treatment to patients by reducing heart muscle damage, the risk of stroke and heart attacks and improving the function of kidneys.
More than 69 million of the people in our country are diabetic. They need devices such as insulin and dialysis pumps and glucose meters. According to the lancet Oncology Journal, more than one million new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year. Mammogram tests, pap smear tests and radio therapy are essential diagnostics and treatment options for cancer patients.
Medical devices are preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and assistive tools of treatment that help in regular monitoring of health indicators to prevent diseases. With the advancement and development of technology as well as new techniques, medical devices can now improve quality care at every stage of the healthcare scale. Surgical equipment such as advanced robotics, minimally invasive surgical techniques and imaging, diagnostics such as CT scans, X-rays, MRIs, Ultrasound and Cardiac imaging have seen rapid growth and demand over the last decade.
Determining the state of health by using diagnostic and screening equipment better prepares medical experts to cure, mitigate, treat or prevent diseases. The increasing use of medical devices is an indication of the prominent role they play in saving lives, improving patient outcomes, and increasing productivity of individuals, which ultimately boost the gross domestic product of the nation. Overall, the industry is helping reduce the disease burden to patients, families, society and India’s health system.
However, the challenge here is to produce devices that are safe, innovative, effective and cost-efficient so they can penetrate the far ends of the country for increased use. As discussion around healthcare is developing, the quality of medical devices has not been given its due importance. An unbiased eye will show that, today, manufacturers are making available a range of devices in a wide price range so that the doctor and the patient can take informed decision, depending on the patient’s need.
More emphasis should be on making available the appropriate quality of these devices and ensure that it befits the patient’s requirement. Another important aspect is to invest in training of doctors and paramedical staff using these devices to ensure effective usage and enhanced quality of patient care.
Poor quality devices seem cost-effective in the short-run, but they also require long-term follow-up and treatment as opposed to higher, better quality devices that prove to be more economical over a long period.
Safe, efficacious and innovative medical devices have changed the face of Indian healthcare. While it is true that frugal engineering and innovation avenues through the Make in India programme have led to the development of low cost, quality products, the domestic industry is still evolving and has a long way to go till it achieves perfection in terms of safety and reliability.
(The writer is head of the Department of Cardiology at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla)