Alarmed by the increase in the number of instances of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) – infections patients receive while undergoing treatment in hospitals- and which are described as a major threat to the safety of the patients, international entrepreneurs like Schulke are turning their attention to India.
The company with a track record of 125 years in the field of healthcare, especially infection prevention, is all set to launch an application based research centre in India, according to Wolfgang Merkens, senior international marketing manager,
Schulke.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai late Thursday evening, Merkens said the search for the right antibiotics and antiseptics began 2500 years ago and the probe was still continuing. “Though we have a number of antibiotics and antiseptics, their regime is fast coming to an end. All antibiotics are going to fail as infection rates are on an upward swing. The search for the right antiseptic is continuing as new and strong microbes and germs are multiplying by the day. Please remember that wounds are not friendly towards antiseptics,” said Merkens.
He said Shulke India,a subsidiary of the Paris based Air liquide, would soon set up a research centre in India to find out India specific germs and microbes threatening the population. Schulke is a company specialising in the production of hygiene and hospital disinfection products. “We have a research centre at Shanghai in China and our next port of call would be India,” he said. Merkens pointed out that the chances of healthcare associated infections torment the people from their birth to the death. “The infection in the channel of birth will surely infect the new born child and the problem multiplies from the moment an infant arrives in this world,” said Merkens.
Deep Sharma, managing director, Shulke India, gave a brief overview of the global situation with reference to HAI. “According to a report published in 2011, the United States of America which claims to have the best health system in the world, recorded 722,000 HAIs from hospitals. More than 75,000 patients lost their lives in the USA due to HAIs. No statistics about the Indian situation is available,” said Sharma.
He said Shulke has developed a number of products dealing with infection control and contamination prevention . “These products have been found to be effective and are like a one stop shop for healthcare and infection prevention needs,” he said.
India is in for a series of products for hand rub, hand wash, hand hygiene , instrument disinfection (to be marketed in all hospitals) and surface disinfection portfolios.