‘India must build resilient, indigenous medical devices ecosystem’: Anupriya Patel

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel on Saturday said India is working towards building a resilient and self-reliant medical devices sector, stressing that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the country’s heavy dependence on imported high-end medical equipment.

Speaking at the THE WEEK India Hospital Procurement Leaders Summit, Patel said that while high-end medical devices are essential for modern healthcare, their high cost and import dependence remain a major challenge for India’s healthcare system.

“During Covid, we realised that we were too dependent on imports. India needs a resilient system and our own indigenous system,” she said, adding that the government is now focused on building an integrated ecosystem for medical device manufacturing in the country.

The minister highlighted the National Medical Devices Policy, which aims to promote innovation-led manufacturing and reduce import dependence. She said the government is encouraging innovation, research and entrepreneurship in the medical technology sector so that India can emerge as a global manufacturing hub for medical devices.

Patel also pointed to the establishment of medical devices parks in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which are expected to reduce manufacturing costs, strengthen supply chains and promote domestic production. “Strengthening of medical devices is our motto. These schemes are bringing a lot of changes in the industry. The sector has much greater heights to touch,” she said.

Emphasising collaboration, the minister said the government, industry and healthcare sector must work together to build a stronger healthcare ecosystem.

“India has intent, skill and entrepreneurial strength. We should work together with coordinated and collaborative efforts for a better, stronger and healthier India,” she said.

She also congratulated THE WEEK for bringing out the Health supplement and dedicating coverage to important issues such as antimicrobial resistance, saying that the issue needs wider awareness and policy attention.

Earlier, THE WEEK Chief News Editor Stanley Thomas said that the mission of making life-saving equipment in India is both important and life-changing for the healthcare sector. He noted that the availability of quality equipment in hospitals not only improves treatment outcomes but also helps in faster discharge of patients.

He also acknowledged the contribution of Yash Kaul, Co-founder and CEO of Helmier, for supporting hospitals with critical equipment and contributing to the development of the medical equipment ecosystem in India.

THE WEEK Delhi Bureau Chief Namrata Biji Ahuja said the summit aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of India’s health sector and hospital procurement landscape, and that the discussions would take forward many of the key issues highlighted by the minister and industry leaders.

The summit brought together hospital procurement leaders, policymakers and medical device manufacturers to discuss procurement, indigenous manufacturing and policy support, with a focus on affordability, innovation and self-reliance in healthcare technology.