Key Points

At a two-day Southeast and South Asia regional meet, Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, emphasised the need to strengthen the medical device sector ecosystem.

Beyond “technology and skilled manpower,” there is also a need to establish “internationally accredited laboratories, adopt globally harmonised standards, and support clinical investigations for innovative devices to achieve economies of scale but aggregate demand beyond national borders”.

“With the ongoing development of medical device parks in India and ICMR’s MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra initiatives, clinical trial support schemes and strengthened research platforms, India is systematically laying the foundation to emerge as a significant MedTech innovation hub,” he added.

Underscoring that “health knows no boundaries”, he observed that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the critical need for collaboration across borders, between sectors, and among government departments and public health agencies in creating resilient and strong healthcare systems.

The Secretary also highlighted the contributions of the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) in developing skilled human capital.

Specialised courses in medical devices are now being offered across seven NIPERs, and these have been opened to foreign nationals as well.

Medical technologies will increasingly move beyond hospitals into households through digitalisation, thereby making healthcare more accessible and affordable, according to Agrawal.

He also highlighted the importance of Academia to Industry: The Discovery Marketplace platform developed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, which aims to enable connections between industry, startups, academic and research institutes, and other stakeholders in the pharma-MedTech sector for partnerships, collaborations, and tie-ups for innovative products and promote breakthroughs for both commercial and public good.

The meeting is part of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, which aims to foster solidarity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among participating countries. It was organised by the Department of Health Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the national capital.

The session brought together senior health functionaries from the governments and public health agencies from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste to deliberate on strengthening health research systems, facilitate exchange of good practices, and promote cross-border collaboration in South and Southeast Asia.

- IANS