eHealth October 2012

asia’s first monthly magazine on The Enterprise of Healthcare

volume 7 / issue 10 / october 2012 / ` 75 / US $10 / ISSN 0973-8959

4th annual healthcare technology resource guide 2012 special issue

P K Taneja Commissioner of Health, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat p-46

Sheila Dikshit Chief Minister, Delhi

Dr Amandeep Garg Special Secretary Health, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Himachal Pradesh

Praveen Prakash Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh p-50

15 - 16 November 2012 Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Healthcare Technologies

That are changing India

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eHealth Magazine

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ISSN 0973-8959

leader speak The Vision of Inclusive Healthcare Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi

Praveen Prakash

Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh

14 health it Integrated, Interoperable and Intelligent: The New Mantra of HealthIT in India

research paper

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IT in Modern Healthcare Organisations Tele-Medicine to Combat Cancer

Dr Amandeep Garg, Special Secretary Health, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Government of Himachal Pradesh

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54 56

P K Taneja, Commissioner of Health and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary (Public Health & Family Welfare) Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat

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policy

Dr N Krishna Reddy, Co-founder CARE Hospitals

medical technology India Drives Innovation

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expert speak Prof Dr R Narasimhan, MD FRCP (UK), Head EBUS Services, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

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zoom in Check Your Sugar Level

Dr Anoop Mishra, Chairman, Fortis C Doc Centre of Excellence in Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, Fortis Hopitals, New Delhi october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

The e-Swasthya Kutira

in conversation

power hospital

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58 19 20 22 24 26 28 30 34 36 38 40

Gurbans Chatwal, Co-founder and Head of Partnerships, Mobilitas

featured company Aavanor Systems Pvt Ltd Agfa Healthcare India Pvt Ltd Fujifilm India Private Limited PALASH Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd PCS Technology Ltd Srishti Software Applications Pvt Ltd TeraRecon Inc Carestream Health India Pvt Ltd MRK Healthcare Pvt Ltd Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd

asia’s first monthly magazine on The Enterprise of Healthcare volume

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oCTOBER 2012

President: Dr M P Narayanan

Partner publications

Editor-in-Chief: Dr Ravi Gupta

Editorial Team

Web Development & Information Management Team

Group Editor: Anoop Verma

Team Lead - Web Development : Ishvinder Singh

Health Product Manager: Divya Chawla Research Assistant: Shally Makin

Sr. Executive Officer – Information Management: Gaurav Srivastava

governance Manager – Partnerships & Alliances: Manjushree Reddy Assistant Editor: Rachita Jha Research Assistant: Sunil Kumar

Information Technology Team Dy. General Manager – IT: Mukesh Sharma Executive-IT Infrastructure: Zuber Ahmed Finance & Operations Team General Manager – Finance: Ajit Kumar

education Sr. Research Analyst: Sheena Joseph Senior Correspondent: Pragya Gupta Research Assistant: Mansi Bansal

Legal Officer: Ramesh Prasad Verma

Sales & Marketing Team Manager – Marketing: Ragini Shrivastav National Sales Manager – digitalLEARNING: Fahimul Haque Associate Manager - Business Development: Amit Kumar Pundhir Assistant Manager-Business Development: Shankar Adaviyar

Executive Officer – Accounts: Subhash Chandra Dimri

Sr. Manager – Events: Vicky Kalra Associate Manager – HR: Sushma Juyal Associate Manager – Accounts: Anubhav Rana

Subscription & Circulation Team Sr. Manager – Circulation: Jagwant Kumar, Mobile: +91-8130296484 Sr Executive - Subscription: Gunjan Singh, Mobile: +91-8860635832 Executive - Circulation: Ashok Kumar Design Team Team Lead - Graphic Design: Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Sr. Graphic Designer: Om Prakash Thakur Sr. Web Designer: Shyam Kishore Editorial & Marketing Correspondence eHEALTH - Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd Stellar IT Park, Office No: 7A/7B, 5th Floor, Annexe Tower, C-25 , Sector 62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201309, email: info@ehealthonline.org Phone: +91-120-4812600 Fax: +91-120-4812660

ehealth does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed in this publication. All views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors.

The magazine is not responsible or accountable for any loss incurred, directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided. ehealth is published by Elets Technomedia Pvt. Ltd in technical collaboration with Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) Owner, Publisher, Printer - Ravi Gupta, Printed at Vinayak Print Media, D-320, Sector-10, Noida, UP, INDIA & published from 710 Vasto Mahagun Manor, F-30, Sector - 50, Noida, UP, Editor: Dr. Ravi Gupta © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic and mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage or retrieval system, without publisher’s permission.

ehealth.eletsonline.com | egov.eletsonline.com | education.eletsonline.com Send us your feedback for any of our Health news, interviews, features and articles. You can either comment on the individual webpage of a story, or drop us a mail: editorial@elets.in

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editorial

Healthcare Landscape is Evolving with IT! There is lot of discussions happening on the ways of making healthcare more affordable. New innovations in Healthcare IT are being implemented by the large and small hospitals for bringing more efficiency in their operations. This efficiency can then translate into lesser expense for the patients.

Thus, we will have a solution to the biggest problem that Indian citizens face, of quality healthcare not being affordable.

Even more encouraging is the sign that Indian health experts and doctors are turning into entrepreneurs. They are setting up niche centres where the seed-fund can be as small as `20-25 lakhs, far less than what is required to set up large-scale hospitals. Such niche centres are easily able to fulfil the elementary medical requirements of a small neighbourhood.

There was a time when only corporate hospitals, modern diagnostic centres and retail pharmacies defined organised healthcare in urban India. Now family doctor clinics, dialysis centres and such are also seeking to harness India’s healthcare industry, which according to some estimates is set to touch USD 79 billion by 2012-end.

Healthcare IT has not left these smaller hospitals and clinics untouched. You can find a Dr Lal Path Lab in many small towns, and it is possible for patients in these areas to have their medical reports remotely viewed by doctors based in Delhi and Chennai. In the larger cities, we now have access to the corporate hospital chains like - Apollo, Fortis, Max, Manipal and others.

The October Special edition of eHealth has made extensive coverage of Health IT and Medical Technology products and solutions. This issue is also the 4th edition of the Healthcare Technology Resource Guide. So we are also introducing you to some of the major healthcare companies in the country.

A key feature of the magazine is the exclusive interview of Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit. Among other things, she has shed light on the major initiatives for better healthcare that the Delhi government is undertaking. In addition, the magazine also carries interviews from senior government officials who are looking after the healthcare domain in states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

I would also like invite you to the eighth edition of eINDIA, India’s most prestigious ICT event, which is scheduled for 15th and 16th November 2012 in Hyderabad. One of the key attractions of the event will be the eINDIA Healthcare Summit; this is where all the leading stakeholders in healthcare space will gather to discuss new ideas for providing better healthcare for emerging India. We hope to see you at eINDIA 2012!

Happy Reading!

Dr. Ravi Gupta ravi.gupta@elets.in

oCTOBER / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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asia’s first monthly magazine on The Enterprise of Healthcare

Social Circle Philips Healthcare @philipshealth @ehealthonline thanks for the mention, also check out our Asha Jyoti mobile women’s health #CGI2012ow. ly/dWnGz Everyday Health @diabetesfacts Good vs. bad carbohydrates: how to tell the difference http://trib.al/kXg9YA Neelesh Bhandari MD @edrneelesh Doctors Use EHRs To Do Chart Biopsies - http://vsb. li/TO57wq Dr. Sidharth Verma @drverma Govt may make it mandatory for hospitals to treat accident victims - Financial Express: Govt may make it mandato...

Everyday Health @EverydayHealth How much exercise do you think you REALLY need?

The answer may surprise you. – Kevin Pho, M.D. @kevinmd An OpenTable approach to hospital discharge planning http://is.gd/blARNl NYTimes Health @nytimeshealth Well: How Exercise Can Help You Master New Skills http://nyti.ms/Pmjjgs Women’s Health Mag @WomensHealthMag 45 percent of the decisions we make daily are based on habit. How they start & tips for breaking bad ones: http:// ow.ly/dZan6 BBC Health @bbchealth Why do parents let their kids get fat? http://bbc.in/ UFZ8PR

Facebook Like of the Month Shailesh Patil Medical Officer, TISS

inbox Readers Speak As usual, the eHEALTH portal has been flooded with a range of comments from our distinguished readers. Few of these reader comments have been selected by our editorial team to be published in the magazine. Read onOne of our relative has multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the pretracheal, right paratracheal (largest one measured 30 mm) per CT scan chest and was diagnosed as a case of glandular TB considering clinical signs and symptoms, without confirmation. After six months ATT another CT done with and without contrast showed reduction is sizes of the nodes largest 18 mm) and additionally there was fatty liver changes and two nodules (measuring 0.1 to 1 cm) in the spleen. So his ATT is again being continued. Now he is going to complete about 7and a 1/2 months ATT course. Now only I came to know about the endobronchial ultrasound guided bronchoscopic needle aspiration cytology. When this facility is there in this chennai Apollo hospital I wonder why the medical specialist are reluctant to utilise this facility and find the exact etiology or in case of TB exact strain and complete the treatment expeditiously . So my request is to send a circular to each and every doctor whenever there is a fantastic diagnostic tool incorporated in your hospital. Or have some clinical presentation asking all the doctors to attend compulsorily. Thank you for reading this.

Baby on Keep Up the Breath Very good article. The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety recently released its safety checklist on patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). This concise checklist reminds caregivers of the essential steps needed to be taken to initiate Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) with a patient and to continue to assess that patient’s use of PCA. Mike on Anaesthesia Market Conscious Industry This is very good initiative to promote health in rural india. Co ordination required between government and private health personel to reduce cost of medical treatment. Expensive specialised health care is affecting many families in rural india which can be one of the reasons of poverty in rural india. People sell land to pay medical bills.

Emergency conditions like caesarean section they have to spend lot of money so they avoid special care. Many conditions are diagnosed late which increases cost of treatment. Women are neglected if treaent cost is high. Maternal and perinatal mortality is very high in india. Each mother should be screened by usg 3 times throughout pregnancy which can reduce maternal and perinatal mortality rate..

Dr Shinde on Initiatives in NRHM Maharashtra

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health IT

Integrated, Interoperable and Intelligent

The New Mantra of Health IT in India With innovations in medical devices market, Health IT segment has caught pace with medical technology, leading to creation of an integrated ecosystem of healthcare information management systems

T

echnology is slowly ushering a new revolution in the healthcare sector in India. Doing away with complicated operations, technical glitches and high costs, the market has now opened up for easy to use, low-cost, cloud-hosted models that can run on your devices and computers seamlessly. Automation and personalised patient-care and service have created a need in the market for IT in laboratories, diagnostics centres, clinics and hospitals. The future of IT in healthcare will witness convergence of medical-IT-Telecom technologies in large scale projects. Simultaneously

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localised product design and development is driving the innovation wheel of medical-IT interface in remote monitoring, telemedicine, mobile applications, and point-of-care test among others.

The new ecosystem of large-mediumsmall players in the healthcare IT space is poised to change the market dynamics with low cost, innovative and patientcentric products.

360 degree patient care Conventionally known to be affordable only by large hospitals and clinics, health IT has changed its avatar with

time. India today is demographically one of youngest countries, and witness to significant rise in middle class population. They demand quality in healthcare facilities and personalised care. Thus in the urban healthcare sector the industry has seen a shift from hospital-centric to patient-centric approach. The hospitals and clinics now send personalised messages customised to the health condition and preventive care of each of their patients. This ensures a monitoring tracking of their health indicators by use of integrated patient information management systems. In its recent report, Cognizant

health it

has highlighted the key trends that will reshape the future of healthcare. It mentions Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) and patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) that includes physicians, hospitals, payers and vendors operating under the basic premise of shared risks and rewards tied to patient outcomes.

Patient care can transform from an episodic model to a continuum, with an emphasis on prevention, wellness and management. This will open a new range of IT integrated communication channels that give the patient a 360 degree engagement model with the hospital which includes patient health records, diagnostic reports, appointments and preventive care updates on mobile. Thus business opportunities in clinical decision-support, customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence tools that provide actionable information and alerts are on the cards. Instead of the patient coming to the hospital, the future will take the hospital to the patients’ home and hand-held devices will be available anytime anywhere.

Food Medical Devices

Personnel

Patient

Lab Tests

Management

Patient Provider Interactions

Rural connect The government spend on healthcare has increased by 25 percent on a year-on-year in the fund allocation in 2012-13 budget with an outlay of ` 20,822 crore. National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is the flagship scheme to take quality healthcare delivery to rural areas across India. With

Recycled Assets

increased budget allocations this financial year, rural healthcare and government will be a key spender on information technology systems to facilitate delivery of quality healthcare in rural areas.

As the sprawl of rural health infrastructure expands with new large and small hospitals and healthcare units, this will

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health IT

ile nt ob fica re , m gni hca h C i t t Pw a s eal row to to lay f h g d g n ill p n o the l lea h i d o or y w visi and wil ort 23 c t Ac olog pro lly, rke ity w USD a 7 hn the lob ma rtun and 201 c te e in s g alth po dia by p e l e ro rvic mH e o r In orld u o se the ven re f e w h of a re cro or t f 0 00 ion 3 ` bill According to the

open windows of opportunities to myriad health IT vendors across the spectrum for healthcare information management systems (HMIS), including the hardware providers like desktops, storage, security, networking equipments etc in addition to software such as digitisation of health records, smart cards, etc will benefit from the fund allocation.

The HMIS system is being expanded on various dimensions including sub district level penetration and integration with other National Health Programmes so that the HMIS becomes a single point of reference for all health related information. Taking advantage of the reach of rural telephony and Internet, the centre and states have also launched telemedicine schemes and projects that can be tapped by tele-medicine service and equipment providers.

Virtual Care and Tele-health According to PwC, mobile technology will play a significant role in the provision of healthcare services globally, and the growth of the mHealth market will lead to a revenue opportunity worth ` 3000 crore for India and USD23 billion for the world by 2017. India has witnessed significant activity in the mobile health space with the launch of several different services; however the majority of initiatives are focused on spreading prevention and awareness messages.

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report, the mobile health market opportunity for India will constitute 8 percent of the total AsiaPacific opportunity in 2017. Virtual care or telemedicine is gaining acceptance amongst both providers and patients in India, thus the market is opening up to enabling technologies, such as home telemetry systems, wireless device communication technologies, and remote monitoring technologies-these will bring specialists accessible to patients in the remotest areas of the country.

Technopak Advisors estimate the current size of the Indian telemedicine market to be around USD 7.5 million, expected to grow at CAGR of 20 percent over the next five years to around USD 18.7 million by 2017. The major cost advantage in telehealth will come from cloud technology to address the healthcare infrastructure, and doctors-patient ratio challenges in India. The cloud platform has created much buzz in the enterprise sector also promises to transform the healthcare sector in India. The power of cloud gets multiplied when it rides on mobility and tele-presence. According to trends, the future of technology deployment in healthcare will witness new unwired business models that will enable a 24X7 accessibility platform to access health information. These provide an opportunity for new entrants to leapfrog bricks-and-mortar and go directly to virtual integrated healthcare delivery models. The advent of virtual care is already a reality in most of leading hospitals in metro cities; the wider reach and usage of tele-medicine in India with see a rise in mobile and tele-health applications for ur-

ban and rural healthcare delivery systems.

Remote monitoring devices will dramatically change how patients and providers interact. Network development strategies will change to accommodate online networks and reimbursement models for e-consultants participating on tele-health platforms.

Health Insurance Indian health insurance market is upbeat on growth prospects and this can be a riding industry for IT companies to partner for customised solutions around CRM, EHR, patient monitoring systems.

There has been many initiatives taken by the government to offer insurance coverage such as the national government sponsored schemes: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana or state sponsored initiatives such as Aarogyasri.

With increasing IT applications and insurance penetration, the demand for EMR is expected to show robust growth in next few years. The need for management of patient data and history by insurance companies has also led to the adoption of IT by many hospitals and practitioners. Privacy and security of patient data will also be a need of this segment in the future. The encouragement of PPP in healthcare insurance will be a key catalyst for growth, encouraging private IT vendors to partner with government in these schemes in the future.

Growth charter Over the years, IT in healthcare has had major applications primarily in the administration information systems and clinical information systems. Information technology when unleashed in the healthcare sector can address the dire needs of accessible, available and affordable healthcare in India. Innovation and new technology platforms are driving applications and services overdrive in the healthcare sector. As the world prospects in India as an investment hub for its population and scale of adoption, the time is right for healthcare Information technology companies to hit when the iron is hot and most of the new demand trends emerging for both rural urban healthcare market in India.

leader speak

The Vision of

Inclusive Healthcare Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, spoke to Dr Ravi Gupta, Manjushree Reddy and Rozelle Laha, on the major initiatives taken by the Delhi Government to bring improvement in the quality of life in the national capital region

There seems to be a large mismatch between demand and supply when it comes to quality healthcare.

What strategies is the government following to provide better healthcare to the citizens?

We are constantly upgrading the health facilities in the national capital. It is not that we are not doing enough. Many new public and private hospitals have come up. The facilities at older hospitals have been upgraded. But the thing is that we have tens of thousands of people migrating to Delhi from all parts of the country.

So in a way Delhi is catering to the healthcare needs of the entire country. That is why our healthcare systems are feeling pressured. According to some estimates about 34-35 percent of patients in our government owned hospitals are from outside Delhi. It is not that we don’t welcome patients from outside the capital, we do welcome them. But it is also a fact that our resources keep getting stretched due to the influx. We are taking the PPP route for creating of healthcare facilities, so people will have access to better services in times to come.

Singapore is a very small country as compared to India, and yet they have been able to project themselves as a health hub. People from all over the world come to Singapore for treatment. Can we have a similar quality of healthcare in Delhi?

The healthcare facilities in Delhi also are quite good, and we are trying our best to make it even better. Health tourism is a part of healthcare initiatives taken

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by Delhi government. Lot of foreigners come here for treatment.

Few other states in India seem to be doing lot more in the field of IT as compared to Delhi. What are your plans for giving further impetus to the IT sector in the national capital? Also, tell us your plans for e-Governance.

We might not be at the top of the IT space in the country, but there are enough eGovernance ideas being implemented in Delhi. Citizens of the capital enjoy access to systems like e-Registration, e-Certificates and online stamp duties.

We are bringing e-Governance in different areas with a view of dealing with the problem of multiplicity of authorities. The online tax collection system in Delhi is now much better than elsewhere in the country. The thing is that Delhi has such a large population density that without having electronic systems in place we might not be able to serve the needs of everyone. IT is a necessity for the city.

We have plans to make even larger section of the population digitally literate, this will go a long way in curbing the digital divide.

Do you have a timeframe during which, let’s say 100 or 200, new e-Governance services will get launched?

A substantial number of e-Governance systems are already in place. Many departments have been provided with deadlines in which they have to start providing electronic services to the citi-

zens. If the deadline is not adhered to, the officers in the concerned department can be fined.

In your opinion, how well is the move towards e-Governance working?

I think we are making a good amount of progress. You can now get the registration of your cars done in four days. If there are delays you can file complaint against the officials. We have about 100 electronic services already in place for the citizens. You see, e-Governance is still a new idea and so the bureaucracy and also the general public will take some time to get used to the new electronic interface.

Much of the IT industry in Delhi seems to have moved into the areas of NCR, Gurgaon, and Noida. This is primarily due to land issues. How are you going to deal with that?

You need to keep in mind that both Gurgaon and Noida are part of NCR, so the movement of IT industry to these areas does not matter. We don’t have the land, the NCR areas have it, and that is a fact.

Industries that are based in NCR also make extensive use of resources that are available only in Delhi. In fact, Delhi is the epicentre to which Noida and Gurgaon are inextricably linked.

The Metro has become immensely popular with the citizens of Delhi.

What further developments do you have in mind for the Delhi Metro?

We are constantly looking for ways for

leader speak

Born on March 31, 1938, in Kapurthala, Punjab, Sheila Dikshit is the eldest of three sisters. She started her historic third term as the Chief Minister of Delhi on December 17, 2008. She served her first term between 1998-足2003 and the second term between 2003-2008.

She represents New Delhi Constituency in the Legislative Assembly.

Appointed President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in May 1998, she led her party to a sweeping victory in the Delhi Assembly elections for the first time in November that year

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leader speak

improving the services of the Delhi Metro.

When we started the Delhi Metro project, no one could have believed that it would one day cover about 192 odd Kilometers of area. In the next phase of expansion, which will be executed in 3-4 years, we have plans to layout another 300 Kms. We are also planning a Monorail project and some smart buses chains to serve various parts of the city. The public transportation needs of the city are constantly evolving and we are trying our best to keep pace. Delhi has wide roads, but we also have the largest number of vehicles, so the roads are crowded. Efficient public transportation is needed.

What would the indicators be like to make Delhi more investor friendly?

Delhi is basically a service city, 97 percent of the services are available here. However, Delhi is not growing only due to its industry and services, the growth is also happening because the NCR areas have a lot of land, where large companies are setting up their manufacturing hubs. Housing is a big industry by itself, and there is a large boom in the construction space.

How do you rate Delhi in terms of Human Development Index?

The quality of life is much better today.

The problem of power has been resolved more or less. Most citizens are now enjoying access to 24 hours electricity. We are also able to provide enough water to

all areas of the city. Many new roads and flyovers have come up. The infrastructure is much better now. The Delhi Metro is serving millions of people. The Monorail study is currently on and we might soon be executing the project. We will create more BRTs in the city to enable a faster movement of buses in which bulk of the population travels.

What is your view on providing better broadband connectivity to the citizens?

Broadband connectivity is already there.

Many people in Delhi, in fact, I would say a large number of people, today have smartphones, through which they can access the Internet. 3G is here. Government organisations are also using latest online systems to provide better services to the people. We are also enabling government schools with connectivity tools through which the teachers and students can access new learning material and exchange ideas.

During the past few years many new initiatives have been taken by the government to bring about an improvement in the quality of education that is being offered in our institutions.

Please tell us about the nature of the initiatives that have been taken by the Delhi government. Please also shed light on the way you see the actual impact of these initiatives.

We have taken several steps. The right

Dr Ravi Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, eHealth magazine (L), in conversation with Sheila Dikshit (R)

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to education has served as a big boost to the education. It is enabling many youngsters from financially weaker sections of society to access quality education. We have also made a study of why government schools are doing badly.

The pass percentage of students is fairly low, even though we are spending reasonable sums of money on the education of every child. We have setup the Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS), a School Welfare Committee, which caters to the needs of the children in the neighbourhood who are going to government run schools. The Committee ensures that the teachers are present in the classrooms and the students have access to quality reading material like textbooks, and that their uniforms are clean. The Committee also receives funds from the government to take care of minor renovations of the classroom infrastructure like repairing of windows, toilets etc. We are also having schemes for providing children with free uniforms, free books. There is also a scheme for providing scholarships to students of SC/ST background.

You midday meals scheme is also leading to many positive outcomes, please tell us about it?

The midday scheme is a great success as it has resulted in lot of poor students joining our schools. Midday meals are given to children up to a particular class after that they are not given. However, in a city like Delhi, the fact that our schools teach English and provide new avenues for the students to get good jobs once they become adults, is the major force attracting students.

Tell us about the schemes that Delhi Government has started for girl children.

We found that the girl children were not coming to schools as often as the boys.

The government of Delhi has launched the new scheme for protection of the girl child.

It is called the ‘Delhi Ladli Scheme.’ The scheme aims to enhance the social status of girl child in the society as well as in the family, ensuring proper education to make the girls self-reliant, ensuring her economic security and protecting them from

leader speak

are not well trained. So we are now trying our best to educate the teachers in the usage of new technologies. We are working hard on this issue, and we are going to succeed in creating the best possible ICT infrastructure for our children. The Delhi government is also trying to rope in private companies through PPP models for the installation of ICT in our institutions.

It is also a fact that our healthcare resources keep getting stretched due to the influx.

We are taking the PPP route for creating of healthcare facilities, so people will have access to better services in times to come discrimination and deprivation. The Ladli scheme has resulted in lot of girls coming to the schools. We have also started the Kishori Shakti Yojna to encourage and facilitate personal hygiene and other qualities in girl children. The Yojna is now serving more than 7 lakh girls in the National Capital Region, and I am glad to say that the number of girl students in our schools is on the rise.

of education in our government aided or run institutions is up to the mark. It is not necessary that the poor students should depend only on the government schools.

We have arrangements in place to ensure that even the best schools have to have certain number of children from poor families. The government is also giving aid to some schools to enable them to cater to the needs of poor children.

Many children from poor families depend on the government run institutions for all their educational needs? What steps are you taking to bring about an improvement in the quality of education being offered in such institutions?

We have several monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure that the quality

Can you enumerate the reasons due to which the ICT infrastructure in government schools is not quite up to the mark?

I agree that the infrastructure can be made much better. The Delhi government is funding the deployment of ICT in schools, but we are not able to achieve the best possible results as the teachers

It is a good thing that the number of students in our schools has gone up. However, after passing 12th, the same students start aspiring for higher education. But the country continues to face a great crunch of higher education seats. How are you planning to solve this problem? Also when it comes to teaching vocation skills to the students, what is your strategy?

The government is focused on enabling many more higher education institutions to come up. It is also true that not every student wants to go to the university.

Many of them want to do courses like hotel management, tailoring, electrician training, and much else, so vocational education is also the need of the hour.

We already have lot of universities and vocational training centres in the city, but they are clearly not proving to be enough, because the demand for quality education is rising all the time.

Many states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have opened their gates for private universities. Is there any strategy for doing the same?

We are definitely trying to encourage private investments in education. We already have Amity University. Lot of private schools are also there. The Delhi Government is totally dedicated to fulfilling the educational needs of all the boys and girls who live in the national capital region. If private investments can lead to the creation of quality institutions for learning, then such institutions have to be encouraged.

Our major agenda is to reform the system of education so that our students are able to reap the full benefits of latest technologies, courses and teaching techniques. october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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Policy

On A Healthy Mission

Dr Amandeep Garg, Special Secretary Health, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Himachal Pradesh, thinks his state has fair amount of success in making healthcare reachable to all. In conversation with Sharmila Das, Elets News Network (ENN) Tell us about your vision for the state’s health department. Tell us about your mandate.

State has started e-Health initiatives by integrating various applications and replacing standalones with web based online applications. Our department is playing a pivotal role in basic healthcare delivery systems. We are trying to adopt a synergistic approach by creating comprehensive plans of action in the aspects of nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water. The plan of action includes increasing public expenditure on health, reducing regional imbalance in health infrastructure, pooling resources, integration of organisational structures, optimisation of health manpower, decentralisation and district management of health programmes, community participation and ownership of assets, induction of management and financial personnel into district health system, and operationalisation of community health

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centres into functional hospitals meeting Indian Public Health Standards in each block of the state.

training centres for the training of staff where regular trainings are being conducted as per the needs.

According to you what are the main healthcare projects of the state that have been immensely successful and have the potential to be replicated?

The State Government of Himachal Pradesh has launched several successful projects. The following are worth mentioning: • Health Management Information System.

• Personnel Management Information System • E-Dispatch • E-Samadhan • Hospital Management Information System • Mobile based Facility Reporting The above projects can be replicated as per requirements.

At times the government hospitals are unable to retain talented healthcare specialists. What steps should be taken to ensure that the government owned healthcare centres, especially in rural areas, are fully manned?

To ensure adequate man power in healthcare, the respective departments should have better Human Resource policies. Also we can invite specialists from other states and provide special incentives facilities to encourage people to serve in rural areas. Third solution could be increase of PG seats in medical colleges.

What are the main challenges that you face in developing healthcare in the state? What are the solutions for these challenges?

We face challenges in mapping different health problems due to difficult geographic terrain. Lack of skilled man power resources is also a constraint. In many places, especially in the rural areas, there are also issues regarding internet connectivity and bandwidth.

The solutions can be V-Sat Connectivity with good bandwidth, hiring / outsourcing of skilled man power, conducting training to increase the number of skilled man power in healthcare.

What is your opinion of the medical training that is available in the state?

Presently there are two government medical colleges in the state and one ESI medical college is being established in the state. Many more medical colleges are being opened in association with private sector participation. There are two

How do you propose to bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)?

We can bring down the MMR and IMR, by better ANC /PNC services, and better immunisation services.

The initiatives being taken by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Himachal Pradesh include: • Establishment of RKSs to provide more autonomy to health institutions for improvement of infrastructure.

• Increase ANC Coverage by mobilising HWs to rural areas • Anaemia free Himachal Campaign • Beti Anmol Hai • Campaign for Tobacco Free Himachal • Free Institutional Deliveries • Free treatment for children up to one year.

• JSY Benefit to ST/SC /BPL Families RSBY benefit to SC/ST/BPL and others We also intend to promote institutional deliveries by JSY benefit, free institutional deliveries, free medicines, drop back and diagnostics

FEATURED company

Aavanor Systems Pvt Ltd M Vennimalai, Managing Director Company name: Aavanor Systems Pvt Ltd Management Team: M Vennimalai, CEO & Managing Director Dr Murugan, Director - Medical, Sarada V Manager - PRO Head Office: Chennai Address 33 Arches, S-60 & 61, 20th Street, Annanagar, Chennai 600 040 Telephone: 044-2620892, Email: sarada@aavanor.com, Website: www.aavanor.com Customer support helpline number/After- Sales Support: 9244929292 Contact Person for Clarification: Sarada V, Email Manager - Projects, 044-26208920

Company Profile Aavanor has been in Healthcare IT since 2001. Our advanced products for Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmacies and Laboratories can greatly enhance provider effectiveness and critically - patient safety. Our recent offerings include: www.doc99.com – An EHR Portal that maintains a patient record for use by any connected medical facility or professional and the Patient. By maintaining the same record across care providers, we move healthcare quality and safety to the next level. Editable eBook EMR- Our latest innovation is an upgrade to our patent pending eBook EMR, where the eBook has been made the primary EMR interface. Less money helps hospitals reduce or even eliminate queues for non-value added services such as bill payment, product collection and registration. By enabling the patient to complete these transactions over their mobile phone, we can speed up processes, process multiple patients simultaneously and vastly reduce the incidence of queues ‘No Entry’ Stores’- An area where significant computer activity takes place in any hospital is the purchase, stores and sales departments. By integrating the prescription and other departments, sales, stores and purchase are all intelligently automated and there is no data entry in most transactions, only review and approval.

Products and Services Our flagship product Aavanor Hospaa3 takes hospitals paperless and assists with accreditation compliance for NABH and NABL. Our Patent Pending ‘eBook EMR’ makes the application usable even by people with minimal training. It enhances meaningful use of IT in medical practices and hospitals takes hospitals towards a completely paperless scenario where the entire patient record is stored electronically and is available for access. The usage of rules engine and a work flow engine enable the product to be customised to the hospital’s work practices, without a lot of code change.

Our current offerings include EMR on the cloud, business Intelligence, smart cards for patients that help make their visits to the hospital more convenient with less waiting and standing in queues and transaction based pricing. Our areas of specialisation are Hospital Information System, Electronic Medical Records, Pharmacy Management System and Lab Information Systems.

Aavanor’s advanced Business Intelligence capabilities bring the next generation of Management Information Systems and reporting to Hospitals. Easy to use dashboards and dials help management and other users keep track of the operations and to monitor.

Business Collaborations Entered into an MOU for collaboration with Anna University. This

allows for joint research programs, provision for faculty and students of the university to be placed in our organisation and to work on our research projects. We are a part of the CII Healthcare Subcommittee for the Southern Region, for 2012-13. Aavanor is also a part of the CII Tamil Nadu ICT Panel for 2012-13. The Panel aims to facilitate investment by ICT industry in tier 2/3 cities in Tamil Nadu.

Achievements Aavanor was recognised as the ‘EMR Company of 2012’ at the 4th Annual Frost and Sullivan India Healthcare Excellence Award held on 21st Sep 2012 at Mumbai. We had received this award once before in 2010.

USP Aavanor is committed to developing ‘intelligently simple’ solutions for healthcare providers.

Aavanor’s patent pending ‘eBook’ EMR and ‘Paper View’ prescriptions and case notes screens dramatically overcome the problem of complexity and unfamiliarity.

Aavanor’s research efforts have resulted in our products incorporating many cutting edge technologies – which result in direct business benefits for the client. october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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featured company

Agfa Healthcare India Pvt Ltd Company Profile Agfa Healthcare offers its customers an extensive portfolio of solutions, including radiology information systems (RIS), picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), cardiology information and image management systems, solutions for reporting, enterprise scheduling, decision support, and data storage as well as digital radiography, computed radiography, print solutions, film, and associated products. IT solutions developed and implemented by Agfa Healthcare work across departmental disciplines to integrate information and streamline the workflows and operations of hospitals, imaging centers, and other healthcare facilities, enabling a more effective and efficient healthcare offering. Imaging systems developed and implemented by Agfa Healthcare capture, process, and manage diagnostic images from a multitude of sources within and beyond the healthcare enterprise, integrating these into a variety of workflows and systems. These systems are designed to bring vital information to medical practitioners regardless of their location.

Suresh Ranganathan Managing Director & CEO

Head Office: Thane Address Technosoft Knowledge Gateway, 2nd Floor, B-14, Road No-1, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane (West)- 400 604, Telephone No: 022-4064 2900 Email: samith.kk@agfa.com Website: www.agfahealthcare.com Regional offices New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai Contact Person for Clarification Samith K K Email: Samith.kk@agfa.com Tel: 98203 37457

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Products and Services

USP

Computed Radiography, Direct Radiography, Dry Printing Solutions, Radiology Information Systems, Picture Archival and Communication System.

Agfa HealthCare is a global leader in the fast growing market of integrated IT and imaging systems, offering healthcare facilities a seamless flow of information and a 360° view of patient care.

The company has a unique, holistic approach, enabling it to provide in-depth clinical know-how and fully integrated hospital-wide solutions. These specialised solutions integrate IT and imaging systems for Radiology, Cardiology, Mammography and Orthopaedics. Agfa Healthcare’s DR Services offers additional services to ensure the reliability and functionality of Agfa Healthcare’s Direct Radiography solutions – providing peace of mind for radiologists, their staff and their patients.

Achievements Successful launch of entry level CR 10X, CR 30-Xm for mammography applications and DR Systems. Agfa HealthCare’s enterprise level PACS systems enhanced productivity and improved workflow at hospitals like Hinduja Mumbai and SCTIMST Trivandrum with very high uptime.

Agfa Healthcare has over a century of healthcare experience related to medical imaging and has been an active player on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990’s. Agfa HealthCare has sales offices and representatives in over 100 markets worldwide.

Turnover Euro 1.177 billion

featured company

Suhas Pokale Vice President, Medical Division

company profile World over, FUJIFILM is the pioneer in imaging technology with 75 years of experience. With all advanced technologies, the company provides solutions in digital camera, photo imaging, medical products, graphic arts, life science, motion picture, recording media and industrial products. Fujifilm provides a worldwide network but is always close to YOU!

FUJIFILM’s latest offerings in the healthcare industry are as follows: Fujifilm continuously strives to help and enhance the quality of life of people worldwide and the latest offerings from Fujifilm for the healthcare industry are:

Printing Solution- A wide range of printing solutions that fulfills all your medical imaging needs.

USP As a firm believer in Modern Medicare and Patient Centric Solution, the company continues to provide the Indian consumer the best products and services. Our leadingedge, proprietary technologies, innovative products, services helps us to gain customer trust, providing them the ultimate satisfaction. We consistently create new value and are exercising pioneering leadership to remain a vigorous company.

Achievements Fuji Digital Radiography FDR AcSelerate- The X-ray room of the future! Dynamic speed and sharp images.

FDR D-EVO- Flexibility and comfort to convert your existing X-ray room to DR Digital Mammography (FFDM) Amulet- Designed with comfort and efficiency in mind for all women.

Digital Portable System FCR GO2- Mobility as you like it, positioning as you need it. Synapse (PACS)-allows the archiving and distribution of vast amounts of image information, and access of large files quickly ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE! Fuji Dry Chemistry System- A fully automated analyser based on dry technology for more convenient and reliable on site performance.

Today FUJIFILM has footprint of over 4000 installations of FCR systems, over 50 FDR systems, over 20 SYNAPSE PACS solution and more than 50 FDC analyser across India catering to more than 5000 customers. Today one out of every three radiologist in India use FUJIFILM imaging products or solutions. Further our basic computed radiography solutions have reached other segments such as orthopedics.

Market Share Currently FCR products have over 40 percent. In a short span of two years of the introduction of FDR we have captured nearly 20 percent market share of the Indian market.

Turn Over FUJIFILM Medical division turnover has been growing approximately with over 20 percent year on year growth over the last three years.

For further details, contact us at Karthikeyan, Product Head Radiology (CR,DR) s.karthikeyan@fujifilmindia.com

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Suhas Pokale, Product Head PACS Suhas.pokale@fujifilmindia.com

Shivani Shah, Product Head (Fuji Dry Chemistry) Shivani.shah@fujifilmindia.com

featured company

PALASH Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd Company name: Palash healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd Management Team: Prasad Kulkarni (Associate VP-Development) Nilesh Ingle ( Associate VP-.NET Development) Head Office Address: 100B-1/1 Sunit Apartment, Near Telco Club, Prabhat Road, Erandwane, Pune 411004, Telephone: 020-25651179, Email: info@palashhealthcare.com Website: www.palashhealthcare.com Sales and after-sales support: support@palashhealthcare.com Customer support helpline number/After- Sales Support: 020-25651178 Contact Person for Clarification: support@palashhealthcare.com, 020-25651178

Dinesh Samundra, Managing Director

Company Profile Established in 2006, PALASH Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd is headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra. Company’s mission is to transform healthcare through innovative technologies. The company is a specialised healthcare technology player and offers a range of software services and solutions to healthcare providers. It provides hospital solutions for large, medium and small hospitals, clinic solutions for multispecialty hospitals, diabetes clinics, IVF clinics, polyclinics and others. PALASH Healthcare has a strong market presence across India and also provides its services and solutions in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe with a corporate office and development center located in Pune.

Products and Services

Achievements

• PALASH Healthcare’s Framework Builder PALASH is a state-of-the-art comprehensive enterprise-wide HIMS and CIMS software with its faculty focused frameworks and operational components that cover all aspects of management and operations of medium and large hospitals as well as clinics.

• Company has a diverse range of products viz. Diabetic, Ophthalmology, • PALASH has unique product for IVF / ART specialty

• PALASH Healthcare Systems and Zensar Technologies has signed joint partnership for distribution and implementation of healthcare systems.

• PALASH Healthcare has spreaded its wings in West Indies.

• PALASH has started implementation in Europe for Super Specialty PALASH.IVF Solution

Business Collaborations Technology Collaborations • Microsoft Navision (Dynamics) • SAP • Oracle Financials • Tally Accounting

USP • • • •

Cloud Based Solutions Specialty Specific Solutions Patient Portal Multi Location Centralised Solutions

TurnOver 2009-10 : 2 Cr. | 2010-11 : 3 Cr. | 2011-12 : 4 Cr.

Top 5 clients in India Business Collaborations • Zensar Technologies • H3O • Softgaytes

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Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, Optis Eye Hospital, M V Diabetes Hospital and Clinic, Express Clinic Chain, Pune Fertility Centre.

featured company

PCS Technology Ltd Company Profile

R Viswanathan, Head Strategic Business Unit (HIS)

Shailesh Kulkarni, Head Strategic Business Unit (LIS)

Company name: PCS Technology Ltd Corporate Headquarters 6,7,8 and 12th Floor, Plot No. X-5/3, Technocity, Opp. Millenium Business Park, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400 701, Phone Dir (022) 39166111 & 022-39166011 Contact Person for clarification R. Viswanathan, Head - Healthcare Solutions, Tel: +91-22-42116111, Email: r.viswanathan@pcstech.com, Web: www.pcstech.com

products • • • •

PCS PRODOC GOLD – HIS attuned for mid-size segments PCS LAB Plus - Suitable for standalone labs PCS Link - Integration to medical equipment PCS Web Link - Online web access to key users i.e. patient, doctor, senior management

PCS Technology Ltd is an ISO 9001:2000, SEI CMMi Level 3, public listed, multi-skilled company. Since its inception in the year 1983, PCS Technology has grown to become a 100 million dollar company with headquarters in Mumbai, and a global presence that spans 32 offices across the world with 230 dealer outlets. With 15 years experience in the industry, PCS Healthcare Systems, a division of PCS, having over 100 dedicated resources, currently serves more than 250 commercial hospitals and laboratories. PCS Healthcare Systems has leveraged decades of research and experience with healthcare institutions, both nationally and globally, to create a wide range of healthcare solutions tailored to the best practices of the industry.

PCS Prodoc ERP is a holistic, comprehensive Hospital and Management Information System (HMIS) that is cost-effective, scalable and personalised to fit the specific needs of each organisation; single center or multi location network chains. It is an end to end solution that comprises of a suite of modules that cater to automation of clinical as well as administrative processes, integrated tightly with a spectrum of backend modules including HR, payroll, finance, business tool and PACS. PCS PRODOC brings you closer to your dream of a paperless hospital.

PCS LIMS Enterprise is an extensive and comprehensive Laboratory Information System that is best in its class. It follows the complete GLP and complies with standards laid down by CAP and 21 CFR Part 11. It is integrated with over 250 medical equipments.

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•

USP • •

Unmatched Service: Only HIS provider to give six months resident engineer support, after go live, at no extra cost!

Only Healthcare software to follow RAPID IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY that will show the ROI within three months

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Achievements • Successful implementation of complete Oracle Based Hospital ERP at Sundaram Medical Foundation in a record time of seven months

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Implementation at prestigious institutions like Care Institute of Medical Sciences (Ahmedabad), Goenka Research Institute of Dental Sciences (Gandhinagar), Bhagwan Mahavir Cancer Hospital (Jaipur), Dr Mehta Hospital (Chennai), etc.

Successful integration with SAGE ACCPAC, SAP B.1, TALLY and other Financial Accounting Modules with necessary customisation Three year contract for Maintenance and handling support of Hospital Management Information System(HMIS) software, drug and equipment management system software in state government hospitals from the government of West Bengal Implementations at prestigious clients like M. R. Diagnostics- Dubai, Al Noor hospital- Dubai, Zuleka hospital, UAE and St. Luke hospital- Philippines, N M Medical Centre (7 centres), Suburban Diagnostics (6 centres), Vijaya Diagnostics (27 centres), Bharat Scans (5 centres), etc

featured company

Srishti Software Applications Pvt Ltd Management Team: Ravi Balagali, Dr Vinoy Singh, Haribabu doddala Head Office: Bangalore-L1#174,6th Sector, HSR layout Telephone: 09945239357 Email: anshumank@srishtisoft.com Website: www.srishtisoft.com Contact Person for Clarification Anshuman Kumar Email: anshumank@srishtisoft.com: 09945239357 Customer Support Helpline Number/After- Sales Support : 9686450201

combines the flexibility and swiftness of a niche firm with the significant technological breadth and process orientation of large organisations. Our key strengths include: In-depth functional understanding of healthcare, online media and publishing domains with particular emphasis on knowledge processes.

Srishti’s mission is to deliver highimpact, intuitive technologies to knowledge based enterprises. Srishti leverages its high-quality and cost-effective solutions and technologies, to bring tangible value to customers around the world.

Products and Services

Suchet Singh CEO

Company Profile Srishti Software is a leading product development company providing cutting edge technology solutions in the healthcare domains anchored around.

Its flagship product called THE PARAS SUITE OF SOLUTIONS. Set up in 1997 and headquartered in Bangalore and reconstituted in 2005, Srishti today has offices in Delhi, Mumbai, and London.

Some of the key markets targeted by Srishti include Middle East, ASEAN nations, East & South Africa, India, Europe and the US. The company is expanding into newer markets like Middle East, Africa, and East Asia. Over the years, Srishti has built a unique culture that

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PARAS Healthcare Management Software is a fully integrated solution for various hospital sizes and complexities.

This allows our customers to choose the right sized solution based on their current requirement as our adaptive and modular design of the solution helps our customers to grow without the fear of technology or solution replacement as they grow.

Srishti Software offers a suite of Healthcare Software solutions that includes: • Health Management Information System (HMIS) Enterprise Class Fully Integrated Solution • RIS/PACS • Electonic Medical Record • Disease Registries • Cord Blood Bank • Telemedicine Solutions PARAS. Our healthcare suite of products are aimed to deliver paperless and film less hospital thereby reducing huge administrative costs. This helps our customers to counter the rising costs of care amidst increasing competition. Many IT investments in hospitals have been very costly and cumbersome to implement due to the

procurement of multiple solutions and integrating them.

To ensure that our customers do not live through such problems, we engineered PARAS as a fully integrated end to end solution.

This facilitates one point responsibility and much lower turnaround time for implementation. Our solutions are built to be deployed from as small as a single hospital to multiple hospitals in multi-locations in a seamlessly integrated way.

Achievements • Placed among Top 100 Small Business in the Year 2011 by Franchise India.

• Placed in the NASSCOM Emerge Top 10 companies under the category of Emerge Products for the year 2010.

• Rated SE 1A by ONICRA performance and credit rating.

USP Differentiated advantages of our product PARAS - Healthcare Management Software are below: • Bi-directional integration between business and clinical processes.

Helps hospitals in resource optimisation and plug revenue leakages • Delivers improved patient care conforming to best clinical and administrative practices • Multi-location product that enables centralised monitoring, intelligent decision making and improved audits and controls • On-demand application scalability that ensures non-obsolescence of solution as business grows • 100 percent successful product implementation record across geographies • Native multilingual support: Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and English versions already available

featured company

TeraRecon Inc Contact Person for Clarification Pranav Shah, pranav@terarecon.com, +91-9819192754 Company name: TeraRecon Inc TeraRecon Headquarters 4000 East 3rd Avenue, Suite 200, Foster City, CA 94404, USA Telephone No: 016503721100, Website: www.terarecon.com Email: info@terarecon.com Sales and After-sales Support Pranav Shah Sales Manager- India (pranav@terarecon.com) Robert Taylor, CEO & President

Company Profile TeraRecon, a global leader in advanced image processing and 3D visualisation techniques, provides image management systems for healthcare applications based on its unique and patented image processing technologies. A six-time winner of Frost and Sullivan awards, the company has developed a leading portfolio of products that advance the performance, quality, functionality, and integration of image processing and 3D visualisation systems. Founded in 1997, TeraRecon has developed a unique family of powerful technologies that are used in its real-time, enterprise-wide image processing solutions and real-time 3D volume rendering hardware engines. TeraRecon is a privately-held company with global headquarters in Foster City, CA, USA, and offices in Tokyo, Japan; Frankfurt, Germany; Concord, MA; Savona, Italy; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Products and Services iNtuition: TeraRecon offers innovative and uniquely powerful visualisation platform Aquarius iNtuition. Often, iNtuition removes the need to purchase expensive software packages bundled with CT, MR and PET scanners, which are applicable to just one specialty area. iNtuition with Limitless Scalability features: • Unmatched thin-client advanced applications suite • Personalised pre-processing of images to your preferences • Web-enabled smartphone access with no software required • Intelligent image auto-routing and compression capabilities • Unlimited processing power • Unprecedented deployment flexibility • Massive scalability iNtuition Review: It reviews and enhances the role of iNtuition as a complement to PACS within radiology workflow. iNtuition Review includes special functionality to create folders of cases for presentation in

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daily or weekly radiology conferences and multi-disciplinary meetings. iNtuition Enterprise Medical Viewer – iEMV: iEMV builds upon the multi-modality review capability of iNtuition Review, by providing a simple, intuitive, browserbased client which requires no download, no installation, and no plugin. A completely zero-footprint viewer supports a wide range of browsers dating back to IE7 and multi-modality case presentations from iNtuition Review. On the client side, iEMV is equipped to integrate with EMR/HIS/ PACS for enterprise access to image and non-image data in the context of access to the complete patient medical record.

USP • Award winning clinical solutions for advanced visualisation • True server-client architecture • Unparalleled automation • Superior volume rendering performance • All users are advanced users (Every tool for everyone – always)

Achievements • Leader in advanced visualisation solutions in India • Installations across several leading medical college and teaching institutes like PGI Chandigarh, KEM, LTMG & Nair Hospital Mumbai • Enterprise Advanced Visualisation capabilities throughout the radiology departments with advanced 3D capabilities on individual computer for radiologists at P.D. Hinduja hospital-Mumbai, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences – Cochin, Sahyadri Hospitals – Pune, Apollo Hospitals – Chennai and Fortis Hospital – Kolkata

Categories of Product • Enterprise Advanced Visualisation for CT/MR/PET • 3D workstations for CT/MRI/PET • Advanced 3D software for PACS • Cloud based 3D viewer for teleradiology

The perfect 3D Advanced Visualization partner for your PACS TeraRecon provides seamless integration with PACS streamlining entire radiology workflow by offering advanced visualization tools to your PACS viewers TeraRecon’s iNtuition features

Why TeraRecon - A perfect 3D partner?

-True client-server architecture -Most powerful rendering technology -Broadest range of clinical modules -Vendor Neutrality -Scalability, proven in multi-site deployment -Seamless PACS integration

-Longevity, proven track record, commitment -Always an industry leader & an informatics company -Always Vendor Neutral -Best in class architecture to suit any PACS -Best in class and award winning advanced clinical applications

info@terarecon.com | www.terarecon.com | 877.354.1100 Aquarius® is a registered trademark of TeraRecon, Inc. iNtuition™ and the iNtuition logo are trademarks of TeraRecon, Inc. Copyright© 2012 TeraRecon, Inc. All rights reserved.

071812AQ_A-eHealth_A1

Medical technology

India

Drives

Innovation

Medical technology and device manufacturers are eyeing the Indian healthcare market for business growth. This is leading to higher penetration of healthcare services and related infrastructure in second and third tier cities in the country

T

he global medical technology market was estimated to be worth USD 273.3 billion in 2011, with an observed growth rate of 5.3 percent estimates by Espicom report. America and Europe together represent approximately 75 percent of this market. The Indian market is the fourth largest in Asia after Japan, China and South Korea. In terms of industry segments, Orthopedic, Dental and Prosthetic technologies emerge as the largest category, representing one-fifth of the global market, followed by Electrodiagnostics, Imaging and Patient Aids. As innovation in technology advances, latest medical equipment is being designed for better clinical outcomes, less invasive procedures and shorter recovery times.

Growth catalyst The reasons for healthy growth for medical equipment manufacturers eyeing Indian market are many; these include population rise, higher government and private sector investments in healthcare, increase in number of health insurance beneficiaries, rise in disease burden especially of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, stroke and chronic lung diseases. Contrary to popular belief, the poor population is more vulnerable to these owing to limited access to quality health care. Thus demand for medical electronic equipment devices and disposables, examples X-Ray and imaging equipment, pathological probes

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are expected to rise. Restricted by the challenges of access and affordability, India is emerging as a destination for innovation in medical technologies that are manufactured in India for the Indian population. According to PwC Medical Technology Innovation Scorecard, the nature of innovation is changing as developing nations become the leading markets for smaller, faster, more affordable devices that enable delivery of care anywhere at lower cost. As global companies embark upon India with manufacturing and R&D capabilities, and domestic manufacturers explore technology innovation and convergence, the pace, the times ahead will witness many small, medium and large medical

technology companies creating value for patients as they benefit from new lower cost diagnosis, monitoring and treatment procedures.

Synergise to succeed India is an emerging market for many global medical technology manufacturers and has conventionally focused mainly in the upper and premium segments and geographies. According to latest PwC report, India ranks among the top three emerging nations for direct investment by large, multinational medical technology companies, and showed annual growth exceeding 15 percent and estimated industry revenue of about USD 3 billion in 2011 in the medical

medical technology

technology segment. Faced with saturation and competition, the industry is now re-thinking its growth strategy beyond the traditional model. On the domestic front, the Indian medical technology manufacturers are working hard on the innovation run to cater to the healthcare needs of mushrooming middle- and lower-income populations living in cities as well as in rural and per-urban areas that is expected to grow from close to 50 million people in 2007 to 580 million by 2025. The shift from urban to rural will not be easy for the medical technology industry that has been dependent on imports for most of its needs. Main categories of items that are imported into India contain imaging equipment, pacemakers, orthopedic and prosthetic appliances, breathing and respiration apparatus, and dental equipment. Hence, synergy between equipment manufacturers and hospitals to introduce new range of low cost products and business models will ensure the true realisation of market potential in India. The future will witness more R&D, innovation and manufacturing of medical technologies within India with new, tailormade and comprehensive solutions.

Designed for patient experience The medical technology has traditionally developed its design and technology with new advancements as pure iterations to their previous equipments as incremental innovations as enhancements in the power, efficiency or performance.

However, in recent times as the industry moves from a clinician-centric approach to a patient-centric approach, the new trends in medical device designs reflect the new ideology of this industry to reinvent healthcare as an experience from the patients’ viewpoint and the doctor as just a facilitator. In its Medical Technology Report 2012, Ernst & Young state that the move to an outcomes-focused ecosystem will involve a changing customer base. While the primary customer for many medical technologies has historically been the physician, medical technology firms will now need to focus on understanding and serving a more diverse set of customers. The patient-

0

Key Challenges Faced by the Sector • Low penetration & geographic reach • Accessibility • Affordability • Awareness • Nascent Regulatory Environment • Low Indigenous Manufacturing • No Distinct Status of the Industry • Need for Quality Benchmark at par with the Global Standards • Complex Rules and Guidelines • High Capital requirement

empowerment is being provided from technology platforms such as smartphone apps, social media platforms, sensor-embedded smart devices and more. Most of the equipments mainly diagnostic in function hold the patient data with them. This data when stored in electronic form, which makes it easier to analyse trends and combine data for the patient each time they visit, providing better customer experience for the hospital. Thus new medical equipment designs will now include features for a hassle-free patient experience in addition to high performance for the clinician.

Underserved markets A large segment of the Indian population is yet to experience quality healthcare in their cities and are forced to comprise

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with ill-equipped hospitals and clinics.

The focus of the medical technology industry is to significantly increase focus on these underserved middle-income population in tier two segments. Move beyond importing current mature market products to customised offerings, shift from technology product innovation to value-based innovation, and establish new business models; the demand for refurbished equipments has also caught pace in these market segments. Many domestic manufacturers have found a level-playing in these segments and offer a cost advantage over multi-national companies. Thus overall, apart from establishing local and regional operational capabilities to deliver the new innovations, including a low-cost manufacturing network, local research and development (R&D), domestic competition will also play a significant role in plans to foray in these underserved markets.

A lucrative market for many global medical technology and device manufacturers, the profit margins from India for business has been elusive for many companies in the past. The delay in procurements, harsh environments, and lack of maintenance and upgrade of technologies has left much to be desired to provide quality healthcare services to the burgeoning Indian population. Thus companies need to think out-of-the-box strategies, innovation in product designs and materials to tap Indian healthcare markets. october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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featured company

Carestream Health India Pvt Ltd Management Team: Prabir Chatterjee, Managing Director Corporate Office: Sunteck Centre, 1st Floor, Subhash Road, Vile Parle East, Mumbai – 4000 57 Regional Offices: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta, Chennai Email: nilesh.sanap@carestream.com Website: www.carestream.in Contact Person for Clarification: Nilesh Sanap Email: nilesh.sanap@carestream.com Tel: 022-67248888 (Mumbai Office) After-sales Support: 1 800 209 0190 E mail: service-india@carestreamhealth.com

7200 employees, serving tens of thousands of customers in more than 150 countries across the world. The company has over 1,000 patents in digital and film imaging and information technology. As a result of its innovative product portfolio and broad global sales platform, service and distribution capabilities, products from Carestream Health can be found in approximately 90 percent of hospitals and dental practices around the world. In addition, more than 75 percent of the Company’s revenue comes from products that enjoy a No.1 position in the market. The company is headquartered in Rochester, NY USA. Carestream Health India Pvt Ltd is a subsidy of Carestream Health, Inc. The group has a comprehensive portfolio of medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions and services, and is the only company that offers a complete range of radiology imaging products, ranging from the latest in CR Systems, DR Systems, Medical Laser Imagers, Analog X-Ray Systems, X-Ray films, Laser films, Dental intraoral and extraoral digital X-ray equipment and imaging films.

Carestream Health India Pvt Ltd has a direct presence in India with over a 100 employees, four regional offices, 14 warehouses, and a network of about 155 channel partners across the country. The channel partners are strategically located for quick response to maintain the peak performance of its products and customers’ operations.

For more information, please visit: www.carestream.in

Products and Services

Prabir Chatterjee, Managing Director

Radiology Imaging Products: CARESTREAM DIRECTVIEW Vita CR System, DIRECTVIEW Classic CR System, CARESTREAM DRX 1 System – Retrofit DR System, CARESTREAM DRX Ascend System – Floor-Mounted DR System, CARESTREAM DRXEvolution System - The fully automated DR Suite, CARESTREAM DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray System, DRX-Mobile Retrofit, CARESTREAM DRYVIEW 5700 Laser Imager, CARESTREAM DRYVIEW 5850 Laser Imager, CARESTREAM DRYVIEW 6850 Laser Imager, DRYVIEW CHROMA IMAGING SYSTEM

Target Verticals Company Profile Carestream Health is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; X-ray film and digital X-ray systems for non-destructive testing; and advanced materials for the precision films and electronics markets.

Carestream Health is a dynamic global company with more than 100 years of leadership. With over 17 manufacturing and R&D locations, including three technology and innovation centres globally, Carestream Health has more than

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Radiology, Dental

Achievements As a result of its innovative product portfolio and broad global sales platform, service and distribution capabilities, productsfrom Carestream Health can be found in approximately 90 percent of hospitals and dental practices around the world. In addition, more than 75 percent of the company’s revenues come from products that enjoy a No.1 market position.

featured company

MRK Healthcare Pvt Ltd Rajni Shah, Managing Director

Company name: MRK Healthcare Pvt Ltd

Administrative Office B4, B5, Byculla Service Industries, D.K. Marg, Susex Road, and Byculla (E) Mumbai 400027. India Tel: +91-22-23748371-72-73 Fax: +91-22-23748370 Email: info@mrkhealthcare.com, rrs@mrkhealthcare.com Skype: mrkhealthcare Website: www.mrkhealthcare.com

Company Profile MRK Healthcare began operations in 1965 under the leadership of Ramniklal Shah for the manufacture and trading of molded rubber industrial products and surgical rubber gloves. “NULIFE” is the trade name under which medical products manufactured by MRK HEALTHCARE are marketed.

MRK is today one of India’s leading manufacturers of medical disposables and hospital equipment with a diversified product range and a reputed market presence. It is dedicatedly committed to the care and improvement of human life through continuum of high-quality, cost-effective healthcare products. It has five manufacturing units located in western India, with a total built-up area of 125,000 sq. ft and a further provision for expansion up to 1,200,000 sq. ft. Its administrative office is located strategically in Mumbai.

Products and Services MRK HEALTHCARE’s wide product range includes latex products, electro medical devices and plastic disposables. Latex range includes various types of gloves ranging from exam gloves, surgical gloves to specaility gloves range and catheters. Electro medical devices include four models of nebulisers, needle burner and syringe destroyer-60 Watt and 100 Watt, B P Monitor, Air bed and weighing Scale.

Plastic disposables range comprises of I V sets, B T sets, urine bag etc MRK HEALTHCARE is expanding its product range with help of leading OEM manu-

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Our resultant high quality has made “NULIFE” a respected brand not only in India but also in many foreign countries, Almost 50 percent of our production is regularly exported to Africa, Europe and Russia. Locally we are a supplier to many prestigious research organisations and hospitals.

comprehensive quality checks at every level including Physical, visual, chemical and bacteriological tests. Close contact with medical professionals and an ear on the ground help us understand the requirements of the medical field helping to improve and innovate our products. MRK stands committed to research and development, continual improvement and innovation so as to give our customers the best value and performance oriented products.

USP

Top Five Clients

MRK’s strength is delivering contemporary world class products at economical pricing. This is ensured by stringent and

Hinduja Hospital, Jaslok Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial Hospital, Cancer Research Institute

facturing facility in India & abroad.

Achievements

featured company

®

Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd Suresh Vazirani, Chairman and Managing Director Company name: Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd Management Team Suresh Vazirani, Chairman & Managing Director Dr Gurmukh Advani, President – Sale Head Office: Mumbai Address: Transasia House, 8 Chandivali Studio Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400 072, Telephone: 022-40309000, Email: transasia@transasia.co.in Website: www.transasia.co.in Customer Support Helpline Number/After-sales Support Anil Kumar Jani - 022-40309000 Contact Person for Clarification Harshal Makasare (Head Marcom), Email: h.makasare@transasia.co.in Contact No. 022-40309000

Company Profile Incepted in the year 1979, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd, is headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is one of the India’s largest In Vitro diagnostics company and offers solutions and products in biochemistry, hematology, coagulation, ESR, immunology, urinalysis, critical care, electrophoresis, molecular diagnostics, diabetes management and microbiology. Transasia is a part of the global Erba Mannheim GmbH Group. Transasia manufactures and markets equipments and reagents, with an impressive install base of around 30,000 equipments across India. Transasia also exports to more than 60 countries worldwide. The vast network of more than 150 service engineers, 300 + Sales and Marketing Team, 14 zonal offices, and 300 + Distributors allows us to reach out to customers across the length and breadth of the country. Transasia markets, services and supports the Sysmex products and solutions in India.

Products and Services Instrument and reagents in the Biochemistry, Hematology, Coagulation, ESR, Immunology, Urinalysis, Critical Care, Electrophoresis, Molecular Diagnostics, Diabetes Management and Microbiology

business collaborations • The Erba Diagnostics Group has spread its footprint across USA, Europe, Turkey and Eastern Europe & Russia, by means of various acquisitions – ErbaLachema s.r.o., Lachema International, IVAX Diagnostics, Inc., Diamedix

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Biologicals, S.r.l., ImmunoVision, Inc. and Erba Diasis Diagnostik Sistemler.

• Alliances with international partners like Sysmex Corporation Japan, Wako Japan, Medica USA, Diesse Italy, IMMCO USA, Vircell Spain, Helena Biosciences UK, Genprobe USA, have ensured that cutting edge technology and solutions can be brought to India.

USP 150 service engineers, 300 + Sales and Marketing Team, 14 zonal offices, and 300 + Distributors

power hospital

Providing Quality CARE What is the mission of CARE Hospitals?

Our mission is based on simple and universal objectives that can be expressed in just three words – quality, cost, access.

Our value system is defined by two guiding principles – ‘patient first’ and ‘practice medicine as it should be.’ Our model is an integrated academic centre, where quality of healthcare delivery is enhanced through emphasis on education, training, research and development.

Dr N Krishna Reddy Co-founded CARE Hospitals in 1997. In a span of 15 years, the group has grown from a 100 bed, single speciality hospital, to a major pan-India hospital chain operating 12 hospitals with more than 1600 beds and various super specialities. In this interview Dr Reddy talks with Nikita Apraj (ENN) about the innovative initiatives being undertaken at CARE Hospitals

Please provide us with an overview of the technology, software and other innovative procedures being used at CARE Hospitals.

Ever since we began CARE Hospitals, the founding members of the hospital had pioneered many advances in the field of cardiology. The efforts include things like coronary (PTCA) and valvular (PBMV) interventions, indigenous stent technology, which led to India’s first coronary stent, named as “Kalam-Raju Stent.” This stent is named after two visionaries – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the then Chief of DRDO and Dr.B.Soma Raju, founder Chairman of CARE and the then Chief of Cardiology at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.

Innovative healthcare delivery models like Telemedicine and Care Rural Health Mission are being developed with the aim of providing better healthcare services to large number of people.

What healthcare specialities do you offer in your hospitals?

There are some basic specialities that every hospital must have. Basic foundation is very important. Critical care, emergency and trauma services, and cardiology are few of the basic services that are common amongst all the hospitals.

In addition to basic foundation, we can

provide surgical specialities. Such specialities depend on demand, regional and geographical factors. Cardiology is our biggest speciality and we have the largest team of cardiologists in the country.

How do you ensure same quality of service throughout you hospitals?

We are creating standard clinical practice guidelines and protocols, termed as ‘CARE Pathways’. This helps us to ensure uniform quality service among all our hospitals. It acts as a training guide that outlines specification and standard procedures to be followed by the staff. Our nurses and hospital staff have the best possible training. Review systems to assess quality and efficiency are being developed, including Clinical audit and Outcomes monitoring systems. Continuous teaching and training programmes ensure a culture of learning that is the backbone for quality and safety in medical services.

What is your vision for the CARE Hospitals for next 5 years?

The main focus will be on consolidating the existing set up. We aim to double our bed capacity in next 2 to 3 years.

We are ambitious about having a new degree of excellence at our hospitals.

We are in process of creating centres of excellence in the fields that we already are dealing in. Our focus will be on providing need-based services. In our expansion plans, we would like to focus more on the under-served areas of India. This will mainly include tier II and tier III cities. We may also consider expanding our chain of hospitals in other metro cities. However, in case of metro cities, we are not interested in starting from the scratch; we would prefer to expand through a process of acquisition. october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

39

featured company

Trivitron Healthcare Pvt Ltd Dr G S K Velu, Founder and Managing Director Company name: Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd Head Office: Chennai Address No 15, IV Street, Abhiramapuram, Chennai- 600 018 Telephone No: 044-2498 5050, Email: groupmarketing@trivitron.com Website: www.trivitron.com Regional offices: Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkatta, New Delhi, Coimbatore, Secunderabad, Cochin, Chandigarh, Pune Contact Person for clarification: S Kalyana Raman, groupmarketing@trivitron.com, +91 87545 95569

Company Profile Trivitron, the largest medical technology company of Indian origin, aims to become one of the best global medical technology companies in the future. Trivitron’s vision is to think Out of Box to make the most innovative Medical Technology products affordable to a larger section of population in the emerging markets with particular focus to India, South Asia, South East Asia, Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe etc. and also in developed markets like the USA, Japan and Europe as these markets too require cost effective medical technologies. Being an emerging market brand, Trivitron understands that medical technology should meet needs and not only purposes.

Our aim is to enhance access and affordability of healthcare to all, by combining local innovation, frugal engineering, partnership with MNCs and local acquisition strategies. Trivitron operates through a large network of highly skilled professionals and infrastructure, spread across the country and in the emerging markets. We also have a strong network of channel partners, in different locations, focused on different products.

Products and Services Entire range of radiology products, lab diagnostics products, cardiology and implantable devices, complete OT solutions, critical and cardiac care, renal care, physiotherapy solutions, ophthalmology solutions, diagnostic equipment, cardiovascular devices, ophthalmic devices, neurology devices, respiratory devices, patient monitoring and nephrology and urology.

Business Collaborations Manufacturing JVs: Technology Partnerships Hitachi-Aloka to manufacture Ultrasound Systems and Colour Doppler, Kiran Medical Systems to manufacture image enhancement and radiation protective products, Biosystems to manufacture Biochemistry Reagents, Johnson Medical to make available innovative and patented Ultra-Clean Operating Room Solutions, Cardioline to manufacture cardio-diagnostic instruments, Vision Medicaid to manufacture Xray, C-arm and digital imaging solutions, Anilab systems to manufacture neonatal screening products, cardiac markers, Johari Digital Healthcare- to manufacture Physiotherapy equipments.

Service JVs: Alliance Medicorp, Alliance Dental

Achievements • South Asia’s largest manufacturing facility in association with JVs with key global players

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• First of its kind Industry-Academia innovation centre at IIT (Madras) • Largest medical technology company of Indian Origin • Leader in digital mammography • One of the top three players in ultrasound and color dopplers • One of the top three manufacturers of X-Ray in India • 80 percent of the products in lab diagnostics is of own manufacture • First in the world to install VICTUS, LASIK Refractive surgery

USP Trivitron is focused on manufacturing, innovation, distribution and after sales support, thus matching all the healthcare requirements across the globe. Through its innovations and collaborative initiatives, Trivitron makes healthcare accessible and affordable to the developed and emerging markets.

Our key focus segments include CID (Cardiology and Implantable Devices, Imaging Sciences, Diagnostics (IVD)) and COD (Critical Life Support Solutions (CLSS), Ophthalmology and Dental Technologies), boasting as one of the most comprehensive solution offerings in value and premium segments in the Medical Technology space across the globe, backed up by best-in-class after sales support.

expert speak

Pleural Effusion been started on anti-TB treatment. The individual developed side effects to antiTB drugs and decided to go for definitive diagnosis. He underwent a pleuroscopic biopsy and was diagnosed to have malignancy. His anti-TB treatment was stopped and the treatment for malignant effusion was started.

In pleural cavity

Prof Dr R Narasimhan MD FRCP (UK) Head EBUS Services, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

P

leural effusion is a condition where fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity. Pleural membrane is a layer that covers the lung. It has a visceral pleura that is close to the lungs and parietal pleura that is close to chest wall.

Fluid accumulation between the two layers of the pleura is called pleural effusion.

Any inflammation of the pleura without fluid accumulation is called pleurisy.

Traditionally pleurisy or pleural effusion or pleurisy has been considered to be synonymous with tuberculosis in our country.

You ask any doctor in the age group of 75 and above and without batting an eyelid they will advise anti-TB treatment. This kind of unscientific approach is wrong.

We would have missed and treated many pleural effusions as tuberculosis wrongly.

In these days of scientific and technological improvements it is wrong to treat without a proper diagnosis.

I remember, a 42-year-old individual who was with pleural effusion and had

• Air can accumulate called pneumothorax • Yellow coloured fluid can accumulate • Blood can collect called hemothorax • Pus can accumulate called empyema • Chyle can accumulate called chylothorax.

Common causes of Pleural Effusion The commonest cause of pleural effusion is tuberculosis. But other diseases can also lead to such clinical situations. Simple pleural aspiration can tell us if it is blood or pus or fluid. The fluid so removed has to be sent for biochemical analysis, microbiological analysis and pathological analysis.

The most important part of this analysis is pathological analysis. A pleural biopsy of the pleura will clinch the diagnosis, but to get the pleura is difficult, this is because pleural biopsies done through needles are An instrument called pleuroscope is used to get at the pleura under vision. The pleuroscope is a semi-rigid instrument. It is introduced in to the pleural cavity under anaesthesia. The pleuroscope is a fibreoptic instrument that can be used to take biopsies of the pleura. A pulmonologist who uses the bronchoscope can use this with ease. This procedure is known as medical pleuroscopy or medical thorascopy. It can be used 1. To visualise the pleura 2. To remove all the pleural fluid and give symptomatic relief

successful only in tuberculosis and there too it varies from centre to centre. In tuberculosis, tubercles are spread across the pleura, so biopsy is always successful if the technique is good. Faulty biopsy techniques will result in needless pain, muscle being biopsied and negative reports.

After the pleural biopsy is done all the fluid is removed and a tube is left in place so that whatever fluid accumulates is drained out. If malignancy is suspected, a medicine can be injected so that adhesions develop and further fluid can accumulate. Similarly if there are too many adhesions preventing the lung expansion adhesiolysis can be done.

So with this ingenious tool from Olympus called flexible pleuroscope one can have access to pleural cavity with ease.

Its fascinating history has bridged continents and specialties and is intimately related to the history of optics and optical technologies. During the last decade, advances in video technology and improved endoscopic instrumentation have prompted a resurgence of interest in minimally invasive chest procedures among thoracic surgeons and interventional pulmonologists, and today, there is renewed enthusiasm for pleural investigations to manage both simple and complex pleural diseases.

3. Allows the explanation of unexplained pleural effusion 4. Obtain pleural tissue samples for analysis 5. To remove adhesions so that lung can expand nicely 6. Perform pleurodesis or other therapeutic interventions 7. Inject medications in to the pleural space.

8. To relieve pain and dyspnea 9. Occasionally do lung biopsies 10. Has a therapeutic role in pneumothorax

october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

41

, munications logy and Com no , ch ce Te en n er io nf at , eINDIA co ent of Inform t ICT Event at Departm es th rg n la io e ct th fa of satis o-hosting It is matter radesh, is C of Andhra P t en nm . er Gov yderabad ens and ing its citiz Awards in H r empower Exhibition & fo es UID and pe e ru lik of us projects ked crores rio ar va rm in ea ation, ns s e and educ ICT solutio t of India ha of knowledg g innovative g in Governmen in also ng nc n ra la ha ar P en lopment, Five Year at large by the society for skill deve of the 12th n of tio es es m iv ea ct cr he je sc as ob various rities such goals and io pr he l T organising na c. et tio , re portant na Infrastructu to serve im upgrading , etc. ent of ICTs m oy y of services pl er liv de de g in ov pr ve focuses on im ills, ends will ha t, building sk ment and tr oy n pl employmen tio de na gy ate in the e technolo to how thes ould particip e as sh es , th e us t w r r or fo ne pp n arises be to su what man Now questio and action plan t plans; in Ts d en IC an pm n lo gy ee ve te tw on de our stra lations be an impact t should be e on the re ercises; wha ctions imping re ex di g l in ra ild ve bu are se ts, as there to developmen ent. pm lo ve de l innovations omic has severa sh an socio-econ de um ra H P ture and at Andhra of Infrastruc mention th ion on account am glad to gh I ing destinat . hi ad re is le tu a a di nc e In m of co t be po At this ju ble to ts la s IT ho make avai desh aspire erabad, the society and Andhra Pra e of share. Hyd t dg le en ow nm The Gover ate into a kn Resources. sform the st in ICT, tran ts all citizens en to m st for inve ging n technology io at rm fo w and emer In of pment of ne lo the benefits the ve g in de d us growth an increasingly focusing on ient It has been ly en n. en nv io ke co at at uc en has be service re and ed The State offer citizen of healthca ent and nologies) to in the areas ch ore transpar es m Te gi n lo es io ic no at rv ic se tech un e m ak om m C , outreach ation and ICT (Inform improve the initiative to an s. ith st w co n locatio ering ith reducing ens by deliv onse time w ered to citiz nd reduce resp re iding e ov ar pr ric facility 2C services citizen cent d the way G t, 40 a se en ni is es tio a pr lu t ev A vo S s re nt manner. re nters. Mee ce pa The State ha are ns a ev tra es S ic 100 serv , faster and rough Mee d more than in an easier 66 services th s an 3. d en an le tiz ai th ci e av e being access to 2012. Mor convenient ter.

December, ) services ar un 2C by co e (G e at th st en e ss tiz th t to ci livery acro ns across Governmen to the Citize posted for de signed and be delivered lly to ta d gi di ne an pl have been this largest nd records be a part of to l al u Crores of la yo d invite announce an once again to success. l ge al t ile iv en pr wish the ev I deem it a so al I .

12 NDIA 20 ICT event eI s,

Dear Friend

(PONNALA

H)

LAKSHMAIA

15 - 16 November 2012, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Driving Thought Leadership in Healthcare

eHEALTH India, an integral part of eINDIA conference and exhibition, is designed to create a unique platform for visioning and knowledge sharing in the domain of ICT-driven healthcare and facilitates multi-stakeholder partnerships and professional networking among governments, industry, academia, civil society organisations and international funding agencies.

Speakers Dr Ashok Kumar DDG and Head, Central TB Division, and Director, RNTBCP, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India

Dr Girdhar J. Gyani Member Governing Board, NABH Member Governing Board, ISQua

Balaji Utla CEO, Health Management and Research Institute

Dr (Prof) H S Rissam Director – Clinical Cardiac Sciences, Max Superspeciality Hospitals

Bhudeb Chakravarti Senior General Manager & Region Head, National Institute for Smart Governance (NISG)

U K Ananthpadmanabhan President (Operations & Projects), Kauvery Hospitals Group, Trichy and Member, CII National Healthcare Committee

Gp Capt (Dr) Sanjeev Sood NABH Empanelled Assessor Healthcare Quality Assurance & IT Consultant, SMC, Air Force Station, Chandigarh

Dr Tarun Seem Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, O/O Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, New Delhi

Dr B Balasubramanyam Domain Consultant-Medical E-learning, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore

Jasvant Prajapati Chief Operating Officer, GVK EMRI

Dr P S Ramkumar Adjunct Professor – Information Sciences, Manipal University

Dr Nishant Jain Sr. Technical Specialist (Health Insurance & Health Finance), GTZ

.....and many more

ORGANISERS

host partner

CO-ORGANISERS

Directorate General of Employment & Training Ministry of Labour & Employment Government of India

Supported by

For programme details Renu Chowdhary, +91-8750969482 renu@elets.co.in

eINDIA.eletsonline.com

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For Exhibition and Sponsorship

Shally Makin, +91-8527697687 shally@elets.in

for registration queries Aruna Tiwari, +91-8860651631 aruna@elets.co.in

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B

Check Your Sugar Level

“To fight diabetes related health issues, glucose test in every five minutes, even when asleep, is essential,” says Dr Anoop Mishra, Chairman, Fortis C Doc Centre of Excellence in Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, Fortis Hopitals, New Delhi

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october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

lood sugar of a person without diabetes is maintained by the body within a normal range irrespective of the amount of food that is consumed by a person. In patients having diabetes, blood sugar spikes within an hour after any meal. This process goes on throughout the day. So the blood sugar of a person with diabetes, is continuously changing every minute of the day throughout the person’s life. The risk of future complications of diabetes depends on how long and how often the blood sugar has gone above the normal range. Once complications like eye, kidney or nerve disease sets in, it is irreversible. So the whole idea of treating diabetes is to keep the patient’s blood sugar as close to the normal range as possible at all times.

Patients may use glucometers to check blood sugar, but this gives the value of blood sugar only at the particular time when the test is done. However, blood sugar level of a patient is changing from minute to minute. To understand how the blood sugar is changing throughout the day, at Fortis we have the newly developed state-of-the-art technology known as CGMS or Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.

CGMS is done with the iPro2 monitor which is attached to the abdominal wall. It reads the blood sugar of the person every 10 seconds and keeps a record every five minutes so that we can get 288 readings of blood sugar per day during the CGMS study period. This data is uploaded on a computer and the data is clearly visible in the form of a graph which any one can understand. The tremendous benefits are: • The patient gets to see how his or her blood sugar has moved after each and every meal of the day. This gives the person a clear idea as to how much the blood sugar has risen after a particular meal. The patient can then take corrective measures regarding food intake.

• The doctor can make out how a particular patient’s blood sugar is changing throughout the day. There are plenty of patients who have high blood sugar at odd times of the day which is not detected by the routine tests like Fasting blood sugar and PPBS (blood sugar after food). With this information the doctor can modify the treatment to get better control of blood sugar throughout the day.

• If a patient with diabetes is planning pregnancy it is absolutely vital that the blood sugar is very tightly controlled throughout the pregnancy. The consequences of poor control can be grievous to the mother and fetus. So, in patients with diabetes who are planning pregnancy it is extremely useful to get a CGMS done and get a correct picture of the blood sugar pattern.

• Low blood sugar especially at night may go unnoticed and this is clearly picked up by a CGMS study.

• HbA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin) is a very useful test to detect how well blood sugar is controlled over the previous three months. HbA1c indicates the average blood sugar and so it does not give a correct picture of how much fluctuation occur.

In fact, if a patient has frequent low blood sugar, it could result in low HbA1c (because HbA1c denotes an average value) and a false sense of security to the patient and doctor, even when the blood sugar is often high and is actually poorly controlled. CGMS is a useful tool to detect this disease.

3

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xxxxx Policy

The Agenda

of Inclusive Healthcare P K Taneja, Commissioner of Health and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary (Public Health & Family Welfare) Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat, is of the opinion that a lot of planning is required for bringing better healthcare in the state. In a conversation with Sharmila Das, (ENN) Tell us about your vision for the State’s health department. Tell us about your mandate.

Gujarat’s Health department is determined to provide effective healthcare to rural and urban population in the state with special focus on reaching the unreached, and serving the underserved.

The mandate or the responsibility of the state’s health department is all-inclusive.

It includes anything and everything relating to quality healthcare services. The

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october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

state has moral, ethical and legal obligations to provide better healthcare to all sections of society.

Your state has taken many new initiatives in e-Governance. In your opinion what are the most important e-Governance initiatives taken in the healthcare department?

We have started an online web based application for data collection in case of Person with Disability (PwD) and to is-

sue computer generated Disability Certificate up to PHC level. Any PwD can get himself registered in the system by his own or through NGO/Government on www.abilitygujarat.in. The data bank can be used for resource mobilisation according to the distribution of type of disability up to village level.

Another good initiative is the Gujarat Hospital Management Information System– GHMIS. This is a total hospital and patient care management solution for

Policy xxxxx

Successful healthcare projects in the state include the following 108 ambulances are available 24x7 across the State of Gujarat under public private partnership between Government of Gujarat and GVK EMRI. As per the report and feedback available on record, more than 31.66 lakhs beneficiaries have been assisted by the 108 service during the last five years. Out of this approximately 35 percent are pregnancy related cases.

The working of GVK EMRI 108 services is highly professional/transparent and effective.

Khilkhilat (drop back facilities for post-partum mothers and newborn) • Van equipped with Automatic Vehicle Location Tracking System (AVLTS) with GPS Monitoring and Real time Reports • Nutrition Kit and Awareness (IEC) kit for Mother beneficiary.

• Follow up will be done with mother after 48 Hrs of drop back.

• Female counselors at government facilities to counsel the mother for home base new born care prior to drop them back to home

We have started an online web based application for data collection in case of Person with Disability (PwD) and to issue computer generated Disability Certificate up to PHC level

MISSION BALAM SUKHAM (GujaratState Nutrition Mission-GSNM) The state launched Mission Balam Sukham (GSNM) on 18th September 2012 to mitigate the problem of malnutrition through an integrated inter- sectoral and holistic approach covering various proven interventions cutting across various sectors and departments.

Chiranjeevi Yojana: Taking advantage of the many private Obstetricians practicing in the small towns and rural areas of Gujarat, in 2005, the Government piloted the Chiranjeevi Yojana (CY), using a Public Private Partnership model to contract private providers for specialist delivery of care to the poor and disadvantaged in rural, tribal and remote areas. By 2007, the successful pilot was extended to all 26 districts of the State. The package under the scheme has been revised to `2800/- from the earlier package of `1795/- per delivery BalSakha Yojana: An accessible expert care by private paediatrician to all BPL and tribal children born under the ambit of the Chiranjeevi Yojana or in Government Healthcare institution has been made available. It also included all the children up to 1 month age identified at risk by Mamta Abhiyan and IMNCI trained health worker as per protocols. After implementing strategy for effectively tackling neonatal mortality Extended Balsakha Yojana was introduced to address the post neonatal mortality. All the tribal and BPL children from 1 to 12 month of age are benefitted by this scheme. As on August 2012, as per records more than 2.5 lakh newborns are treated under Balsakha.

School Health Programme: School Health Programme is the largest health programme operating in the state of Gujarat. It is being scaled up into a “Shala Arogya Saptah”. It’s a unique idea of providing not only health examination to children but also counselling, health education, cleaning of water sources in village, nutrition day activities, cultural activities and much else.

Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Ltd(GMSCL) The key functions of the GMSC are as follows: • Procurement of quality generic Drugs/ Promotion of GENERIC Drugs • Procurement of Medical Instruments and Maintenance • Diagnostics centres and Services • Store, preserve, distribute and manage warehouses and establish new Drug depots at different locations across the State to ensure smooth and timely supply of Drugs & Instruments to Health Institutes.

• Rational use of Drugs • To develop, devise and enable real time monitoring system of Drug Stock management up to PHC level

october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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Birth Reports, Live Birth by Place of occurrences (district and town with population 1 lakh and above), Time gap in registration of death (Rural and Urban), Deaths by age, occupation, sex (Rural and Urban), Still births by sex and type of medical attendance received at delivery (Rural and Urban) and more.

The State has deployed GPRS based vehicle tracking system on more than 118 mobile health units and mobile medical units in remote and difficult areas. It is absolutely necessary to monitor and track these units through a tracking system; GPRS technology based tracking services are being outsourced for the purpose through (n) Code Solutions, a GNFC venture.

We’re also working on comprehensive patient transfer system wherein, all ambulances of community health centres, sub district hospitals and district hospitals and MMUs/MHUs will be tracked through integration with 108 EMRI vehicles by (n) Code Solutions.

What are the main challenges that you face in developing healthcare in the state? What are the solutions for these challenges?

We do have certain constraints in terms of availability of doctors, nurses and paramedics. The health department is trying to address these constraints through well-targeted state interventions and initiatives like Chiranjeevi Yojana and Bal Sakha Yojana and a Public-Private Participation (PPP) model. Further, the gap analysis in terms of availability and shortage of necessary manpower has been done and the same is being addressed on a priority basis. The state today has 1655 medical seats, 1310 nursing seats, 1125 physiotherapy seats and 960 dental seats in the last couple of years. Six new medical colleges with 150 seats each have been set up under Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS). providing better care through Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and IT based hospital services. GHMIS has reached out to 30 hospitals in Gujarat . Then there is e-Mamta (Mother and Child Tracking System – Name based Tracking).This is an IT based management tool to plan, deliver and monitor quality MCH services, track drop outs and ensure complete service delivery through Work Plans, analysis of performance and message alerts, thereby reducing IMR/MMR. This information would help to find left outs in essential programmes like immunisation, anaemia, malnutrition etc.

Drug Logistics Information and Management System (DLIMS) is also a very good system. It has online indenting and tracking of indent system for all Direct Demanding Officers (DDOs) of medical college affiliated hospitals, district hospitals, sub district hospitals, community health centres and chief district health officers for primary health centres and sub centres. It also offers online tender process and information for vendors. It also enables real time monitoring of drug stock up to PHC level in the State.

BADEA System has been developed to store and monitor statistical data of Birth, Death and Still Birth. System is in use since 2005. Demographic analysis and various reports can be generated through this application. It is used to generate reports like

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What steps should be taken to ensure that the government owned healthcare centres, especially in rural areas, are fully manned?

The state is seized with this serious issue and is also considering a proposal to set up a board, which will be empowered to fill-up existing vacancies in the post of medical officers. In view of vacancies of medical officers, retirement age of doctors serving in the certain government departments has been increased from 58 years to 62 years. All Taluka Health Officers have been directed to provide clinical services at PHIs. For ad hoc posting of medical officers, a walk- in interview is arranged on weekly basis at Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare, Gandhinagar. Efforts are also being made to fill the gap by appointing AYUSH Doctors (Doctors with BAMS and BHMS degree) on Contractual basis.

How do you propose to bring down the MMR &IMR? MMR can be effectively brought down by ensuring comprehensive Ante-Natal Care (ANC) services, Institutional Delivery with 48 Hours Stay and Post Natal Care (PNC) services with high quality parameters. In a similar way, IMR can be brought down by ensuring vigilant monitoring of neonates till 28 days through meticulous implementation of neonatal interventions.

ov

Policy

Custodian of Good Health

Praveen Prakash, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, has walked the extra mile to ensure his state does well in providing healthcare to all. In conversation with Sharmila Das, Elets News Network (ENN)

Tell us about your vision for the state’s health department. Tell us about your mandate.

My vision is to have a kind of public health facility that delivers quality medical care to every patient in the state.

The posts of specialists in the government hospitals have to be filled. We have made one year rural service mandatory for the students who want to pursue post graduate

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course. This, we think, will fill the vacuum that exists in certain remote health facilities. We have massive plans for construction of own buildings particularly for Sub Centre and PHCs that are housed in private locations in rural and tribal areas. We also aim to provide free healthcare to all deserving patients, particularly pregnant women and infants.

re e h n e t atio r he plic . If w s ea r ap tive ght r a fo itia n ri ts n l fi a i a n is enti ce i ied ene h lt ot nan ppl h b a p a hig an He igh ver d m n g h Go d a rin on is e e b m of ess will om c s as s it the ea to r According to you what are the main a healthcare projects of the state that

Tell us about the e-Governance initiatives that are being taken in the healthcare department?

Health is one area which has high potential for application of e-Governance initiatives.

If assessed and applied in right areas it will bring high benefits for the common man.

We have massive plans to bring IT enabled services in all health facilities in the months to come. In the meantime we are looking on low hanging fruits. We linked the common service centre “Mee Seva” to enable timely release of birth and death certificates. Biometric attendance system is being implemented in all hospitals to ensure full attendance of all health personnel in the service of the patients. Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) and Health Management Information System (HMIS) are two separate web portals designed

by Government of India. MCTS has the name based details of pregnant women and new born children. We have designed pre-recorded voice messages to all these pregnant women with specific messages at regular intervals. These messages contribute to the improvement in their health seeking behaviour, antenatal checkups, nutritional advices, utilisation of 108 and 104 services and birth planning to ensure institutional deliveries. HMIS is holder of health facility based performance data.

We maintain them and use them for programme monitoring in the state.

have been immensely successful and have the potential to be replicated?

We have introduced ‘Rajiv Aarogyasri’ a health insurance scheme, which covers 23 million below poverty line families in the state. The annual premium for the family is borne by the Government. About 7000 registrations, 1500 pre-authorisations and `30 million in disbursements have become possible everyday, with the implementation of a robust IT tool. IT leads to transparency, and in control of fraudulent and unethical practices. It also ensures quality monitoring, financial planning and health policy planning. So far we have been able to save more than 1.5 million lives. Rajiv Aarogyasri has attracted global attention for enhancing the quality of care delivered to below the poverty line population with patient safety being the underlying theme and for the well-built IT platform.

It has become a model for replication in many other states in India.

Another good project is the Emergency Health Transportation System. We forged private partnership for sharing of technology to provide emergency services all over the state. People in the state can call round the clock on a toll free number ‘108’ to get an ambulance at their door step for transporting the patient free of cost to the nearest hospital in the shortest possible time. About 800 ambulances are being fitted with Automatic Vehicle Location Tracking System (AVLTS). About 3200 emergency cases are attended to every day in the state. In past six years we have been able to save 92,948 lives. This Emergency

Policy

Health Transportation System has attracted global attention and is being replicated in many other states in India.

Third is the ‘Health Information Help Line’. The service is run through a toll free number ‘104’ to provide health advice and counselling to all the needy and deserving people round the clock.

On an average 20,000 requests are received per day. Fixed Day Health Services is additional feature. It is to provide basic health services through a van equipped with medical personnel and equipment moving around the villages within a radius of three kms from the PHCs. What are the main challenges that you face in developing healthcare in the state? What are the solutions for these challenges?

Every day is a challenge while we are working in the healthcare sector. While providing the required infrastructure, managing the availability of human resources as per WHO standards are the major challenges. It cannot be missed to mention the behaviour and attitude of the personnel that makes or breaks the system.

What is your opinion of the medical training that is available in the state?

I would rate the trainings that are going on in the state as ‘Satisfactory’. Most of our trainings to the doctors are aimed at providing them with inputs needed to manage the public health programmes.

What steps should be taken to ensure that the government owned healthcare centres, especially in rural areas, are fully manned?

In recent times we have increased the salary structure of the medical professionals.

We have increased the serviceable age till 62 years after retirement at 58 years in certain clinical specialties in teaching hospitals. Wherever we find the gap we have delegated the power to the district authorities to fill the gap through contract recruitment. Also we have partnered with private not for profit agencies on an experimental basis to run some of the PHCs in remote and rural areas. october/ 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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Policy

How do you propose to bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)?

Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality Rates are important Millennium Development Goals judging from the State’s progress in Health Care. We are concerned about the State IMR at 46 per 1000 live births and MMR standing at 134 per 1 lakh live births.

We are implementing the Janani Suraksha Yojana. This is a monetary incentive provided to the pregnant women to get supplementary nutrition support. The other programme is Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). This scheme is about providing free entitlements to pregnant women and the sick infants for up to 30 days after their birth. Delivery services including caesarean section, diagnostic services, drugs and consumables, diet, blood provision, transport with drop back facility is being provided.

What initiatives are you taking to take care of the essential needs of newborn children?

We are in the process of establishing

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“Sishu Sanjeevani” centres in teaching hospitals, district hospitals and area hospitals. These centres will provide essential care newborn children.

Malnutrition is another major problem. According to studies at least 36.5

percent of children below three years are malnourished in the state. Malnutrition in early childhood has serious, long-term consequences and at greater risk of disease and early death. To address this problem we are establishing “Akshaya” centres in teaching hospitals, district hospitals and area hospitals. Each Akshaya Centre will have trained medical officers, staff nurses and nutritionists, to provide clinical management to children with severe acute malnutrition along with required in-patient treatment and post discharge growth monitoring. The mothers will be provided with wage loss and food during the in-patient care.

In addition to the above we are also establishing the Mother and Child Care Centres in all district hospitals with 150 beds exclusively to cater to the health of the pregnant mother and the new born child. However we continue to focus on the health of the mother and child. Many programmatic steps are being taken to reduce the number of mother and child deaths.

research

IT in Modern Healthcare Organisations Sahara Hospital, Lucknow, has implemented state of the art Health IT systems to ensure better healthcare for patients

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ahara Hospital, Lucknow, has developed and deployed value added services for patients and as well for the caregivers. Patient live video transmission service is an interesting concept and most appreciated value added service that has been deployed at Sahara Hospital using IP based streaming cameras fixed on a mount with wheels that can be rolled across the hospital to any patient’s bedside. The entire designing and deployment of this service has been done in-house by the Healthcare IT team of the hospital. Through this service, patient’s relatives can effortlessly view the live video feed of the patient which is in restricted access areas of the hospital like critical care wards or even post-operative areas from any location in the world through internet. To ensure the privacy of the patients, each video session is secured through user name and password. This facility also safeguards patients and relatives/visitors from cross-infection and eases the curiosity of concerned relatives.

Achieving transmission of patient’s vital parameters from a moving ambulance is another good example of IT adoption at Sahara Hospital. The hospital has ambulances that are equipped with the medical devices and IT systems for transmitting patient’s vital parameters to the doctors in the hospital while the ambulance is on the move and is transporting patient from a distant location to the hospital. Such systems help in extending assistance to the paramedical staff in moving ambulance from experts in the hospital and at the same time provides sufficient inputs to the emergency medical officer and his team at hospital to ensure desired preparedness to receive the patient as the ambulance arrives and commences appropriate line of treatment.

Sahara Hospital IT team has carried out effective integration of information technology and medical systems to make this possible. This system turns out to be a life saver when the treating physician is out of hospital campus and gets a telephonic communication that his patient’s health is unstable or deteriorating. The doctor, wherever he is, can log into the patient vitalparameter Monitoring system through a web-browser on his laptop and can view the live status of parameters of the patient.

This way he can make an informed decision based on the data and waveforms he gets on the web browser and can remotely advise the paramedic staff to administer drug or carry out a procedure with the assistance of resident doctor to stabilise and comfort the patient.

This system also boasts of complex analytics tool and has the capability to record complete vital-parameters data of all the patients in the critical care area on a central database Server to

Objective To increase healthcare efficiency at the hospital.

Solution Architects Gunjan Kumar- Head - IT & Automation, Sahara Hospital, Lucknow is Bachelor of Engineering (BE); MBA in Information Technology; IBM Advanced Certificate in Software Engineering. He has more than 12 years of experience in Consulting, Designing, Solutions delivery and managing Health Informatics Systems

do online analytics of each patient. This analytics tool captures information which can be missed out by the most watchful eye.

It analysis data received from the patient bedside monitor every moment and highlights all critical events with markers that can be automatically reviewed later.

Through the same web login, the doctor can view all past critical and non-critical events and have further insight into the vital-parameters trend of his patient. Another important IT enabled service commissioned at Sahara Hospital is Pneumatic Tube System. This is an excellent transportation system and is being extensively used for quick transfer of Patient’s lab samples, medicines and reports from one location to another location of the hospital. This service reduces time as well as additional manpower associated cost.

Even the simple looking Pneumatic Tube containers have technology working for them; they come with embedded RFID tags at both the ends. These RFID tags give intelligence to the system and act as a homing device to send empty carriers back to their origin.

This is one of the many innovative usages of technology to extend convenience to hospital staff and enhance their efficiency. october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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research

Tele-Medicine to Combat Cancer Now cancer detection and cervical cancer treatment is possible using Mobile Telemedicine Unit

A

Mobile Tele-Oncology Unit with VSAT connection was developed and used in 16 medical camps organised in rural areas of Kannur and Wynad districts for cancer detection and treatment of initial stage cervical cancer among the rural population. In these camps 1584 people were screened, and 68 pre-cancerous cases were detected.

16 ladies in whom cervical pre-cancerous lesions were detected were given cryotherapy. 6 persons who were detected with oral pre-cancerous lesions were referred to dentists for oral surgery and two suspected breast cancer cases were referred for confirmation and treatment.

Replication of Mobile Units for service in rural areas will bring down morbidity and mortality.

A Mobile Tele-Oncology Unit with VSAT communication facility for Cancer Detection, follow up consultation for patients’ undergoing treatment for cancer and treatment of initial stage Cervical Cancer at the patient location was built.

The Mobile Unit is equipped with digital X-ray Unit, Ultrasound Scanner, Digital Video Colposcope, Cryosurgery Unit, Hematology Analyser, Biochemistry Analyser, DigitalMicroscope, Surgery table, Oxygen and nebulizer units, Sterilizer, Video Conferencing facility, centrifuge, blood mixer and a 50 litre refrigerator.

Also, it has two water tanks of 135 litres each for storing fresh water and waste water. The unit is equipped with video conferencing facility for follow up consultation and for confirmation of doubtful cases with doctors of regional cancer centre, Trivandrum.

The mobile unit is designed and built

by C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram, on an Ashok Leyland Viking Chassis (Wheel Base 222inches). Lead Shielding for radiation protection, as per the AERB guidelines, is

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provided for the X-Ray room. The medical equipments are powered by a 6 KVA online UPS. The mobile unit can operate from local grid power and a 75 meter cable is provided for drawing grid power. When grid power is not available, power for the unit can be taken from the14Kw LPG generator mounted below the chassis. As the generator fuel is LPG, the generator is noiseless, vibration free and smokeless.

Video conferencing room The Mobile Unit is equipped with a work station for creation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) of the patient. EMR is created with e-Dhanwantari software developed by C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram. e-Dhanwanthari is a web based, easily replicable and configurable, W3C compliant Telemedicine Software which facilitates Tele-consultation for patients at remote rural areas and with specialist doctors at urban hospitals. It facilitates creation, storage, transfer and retrieval of EMR of patients with a unique patient ID, interface with bio medical equipments, medical image processing, DICOM viewer, scheduling of appointment with doctors at specialty hospitals, audio/ video/text communication between patients/doctors at distant hospitals, generation of various reports etc. It can be deployed and accessed from anywhere in a Telemedicine Network in which rural and urban hospitals are linked through Satellite, ISDN, State Wide Area Network (KSWAN for Kerala), Broad Band/Leased Line internet etc. EMR of patients visiting the Mobile Unit can be created, stored in the Mobile Unit and uploaded through the network to e-Dhanwanthari server at the RCC. Doctors at both hospital and Mobile Unit and patients can discuss about the case through video-conferencing with the help of the EMR.

Objective Cancer detection and treatment of initial stage cervical cancer among the rural population.

Solution Architects M C Kartha - ProjectManager, Medical Informatics, C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram. He has 28 years of experience in electronics hardware, software design and development.

S Sudhamony has 32 years experience in hardware, software design and development. Currently working as Additional Director, C-DAC. Thiruvananthapuram and Section Head, Medical Informatics Group.

Conclusion Early detection of cancer will save patients from huge financial expenditure, morbidity and mortality. Cervical cancer is can be fully controlled if we can create awareness, have early detection and the treatment of CIN is available immediately after detection. A cervical cancer is asymptomatic in early stages, proactive approaches for early detection and creating awareness at patient locality is extremely important. Mobile tele-oncology unit helps detection of cancers at patient locality, refer patients to treatment centres without loss of time and provide treatment for CIN there itself. Providing treatment for CIN in patient locality ensures treatment to the needy since women from low resource setting neither have the means for getting treatment away from their locality nor the sense of urgency to seek medical attention.

8th Watch out for more contests

http://eINDIA.eletsonline.com

Presents

National Essay Contest 2012 Introduction India has witnessed dramatic increase in the usage of information and communication technology for development in the recent past. Developments around the country show many innovative projects in the domains of governance, education and healthcare. The country depends on knowledgeable and thoughtful students – the next generation of leaders – to develop the country with innovative and cost effective products and solutions. An informed student community would not only carry the country’s advancement forward but also take it to higher places. eIndia 2012 has a National Essay Contest as part of its agenda; this contest is in backdrop to the conference and exhibition. The objective of the National Essay Contest is to promote serious discussion among school students, teachers and national leaders about the role of information and communication technology in the domains of governance, education and healthcare.

Essay Guidelines 1. The essay should be within the limits of 1000 – 1500 words 2. Essay entries submitted by the students shall have to be on one of the topics provided only 3. Only one essay is allowed per student 4. Only original essays will be considered for the competition.

Previously published essays shall be rejected. Any form of plagiarism will result in disqualification of the essay 5. The essay should have the following structure: a. Introduction: Introduce the subject and state your arguments b. Body: Develop your arguments and assertions using research and analysis c. Conclusion: Summarise the research and analysis presented in the essay and set forth your recommendations and conclusions Eligibility eIndia 2012 National Essay Competition is for Secondary and Senior Secondary Class Students (i.e. from class 9th to class 12th)

Essay Topics Future of Technology in Governance or Future of Technology in Education or Future of Technology in Healthcare Procedures for the Submission of Essay 1. Essays have to be submitted through online application form available at eindia.eletsonline.com only 2. Submissions sent by post/mail (hard copy) will not be accepted Evaluation Criteria The essays will be judged by an evaluation committee.

The essays will be evaluated on the basis of contents, analysis/ interpretation, presentation and writing skills.

Last date for submission: 15th October, 2012

Prizes Worth First Place: Rs. 75,000* Second Place: Rs. 50,000* Third Place: Rs. 25,000* All three winners will be invited to Hyderabad for felicitation during the eIndia 2012 Awards Night on 15 – 16 November, 2012. The winner and one escort will be paid actual fare by Third AC from their place of study or hometown (both ways). Arrangements for their boarding/ lodging in Hyderabad will also be made by the eIndia 2012 Secretariat.

Medium The essay shall be written in English Entry Fee There is an entry fee of Rs. 100 per essay (can be paid online or through demand draft). Entries without fee will not be considered.

For Sponsorship enquiries, contact Shally Makin, shally@elets.in +91-8527697687

eINDIA.eletsonline.com

research

The e-Swasthya Kutira The solution is meant to make affordable healthcare accessible to areas where there is no healthcare

E

-Swasthya Kutira is a small unit of 6 x 8 foot, equipped with computer, visual LCD (Touch Screen) of 32 inches, web camera, leased wireless internet connectivity, telephone, and other basic requirements like electricity, power back up, and solar cells. From here one can get the following services: • Tele-Counselling • Video-Counselling.

• Information about diseases and various treatment options • Information about nearby PHC, CHC, and other healthcare institutions and there facilities.

• Information about ambulances and mobile healthcare units.

• Audio-visual aids for health education and information.

• Iron/Folic acid tablets and condom.

• Community disease information.

• Online register for seeking special healthcare for Maternal-Child Care, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

• Get information about upcoming health campaigns and programme details. Beside common people, the health worker of that village or in-charge like ASHA or ANM can seek helps.

• Specific information about any disease and required knowledge through audio-video aids.

• Specialist consultation.

• Maintaining various records electronically like Birth and Death Record, pregnancy record, and records related to special diseases.

• Sharing with central health information resource centre and nearby healthcare institutions.

• Get information about upcoming health campaigns and programme details.

• In case of emergency healthcare need like delivery, accidental cases, and emergency child care, the health worker can immediately contact and give prior information to referring provider.

• Computer telephony integration.

• Call routing and automation.

• Automated call recorder.

• Predictive dialler technology.

• In voice respond IVR • Multimedia contact channels such as fax, e-mails, SMS gateway.

The above technologies enable E-Swasthya Kutira to connect with all public health institutions and all healthcare human resources. Also, it serves special healthcare needs like preg-

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Objective The idea of creating a system that can provide better healthcare for the needy is the inspiration behind ESwasthya.

Solution Architects Dr Gyanaranjan Pradhan PT (Hons)- DNHE, MOAP, PGDHM. Chairman of Hellophysio Charitable Trust and Co-founder of HELLOPHYSIO 24x7

nant mother, infants, child, TB, malaria patients. This centre should be managed by highly qualified and trained Medical, Para-medical, and life science professionals to deliver quality service.

How it works E-Swasthya Kutira will be connected with CHIC (Central Health Information Centre) and CHIC will be connected with public health infrastructures and human resource team. The cloud commuting will be the governing technology through which the vision will be materialised.

The patient or information seeking person will reach ESwathya Kutira, with the help of attendant privacy respect. He /she can directly consult with respective health advisor of central health information centre via telephone and by video as well. The required guidelines and health education provided by the advisor with the subordinated with related audio video teaching aids. According to situation and case from the CHICC information to the nearby Public Health Institute and respective ASHA, ANM, or health worker immediately sent via telephone or/and SMS for taking necessary attention to the concern/ seeking individual. It also helps the ANM, GNM, and ASHA like health workers for training processes. Any individual can get information about the upcoming health programme and campaigns.

8th Watch out for more contests

http://eINDIA.eletsonline.com

Presents

National Innovation Contest 2012 Introduction Today, technology is a significant driver behind change.

It plays a critical role in innovations in the domains of governance, education, and healthcare. It opens up immense possibilities for a wider change in the country. Our student community wants to be innovative, but our educational system discourages them. Also, there is no national platform for the student community to showcase and get recognised for their innovation. So, can we give our students a platform to showcase their innovative solutions in governance, education, and healthcare and make them play a role in country’s development?

With this objective in mind, eINDIA 2012 organises the National Innovation Contest for the graduate students in India. eIndia 2012 is a unique platform designed to promote sharing of knowledge, challenges, ideas and best practices amongst various stakeholders driving ICT initiatives in the domain of Governance, Education, and Healthcare.

The contest recognises the innovative and creative application of technology that improves governance, education and healthcare. The contest builds up the spirit of development to solve the country’s problems.

Innovation Guidelines 1. The innovation solution could be a software application or a hardware device 2. The innovation submitted shall be on one of the topics provided only 3. The innovation could be from an individual student or a team of not more than three students 4. Only one entry is allowed per student or team 5. The entry should be a new and original idea 6. The original source code and executable application or hardware device (images of the device) should be submitted through the online form. The hardware devices should be sent the eIndia Secretariat Eligibility You must be a graduate student of all levels (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D) to submit your entry Entry Fee There is an entry fee of Rs. 500 per entry (can be paid online or through demand draft). Entries without fee will not be considered.

Innovation Areas Innovative Technology Solution in Governance or Innovative Technology Solution in Education or Innovative Technology Solution in Healthcare

Procedures for the Submission of Ideas 1. Ideas should be submitted through online application form available at http://eindia.eletsonline.com only 2. The hardware devices shall be sent by post/mail Evaluation Criteria The ideas will be judged by an evaluation committee and it will be evaluated on the basis of originality, potential impact/ importance, geographic relevance and presentation.

Last date for submission: 15th October, 2012

Prizes Worth First Place: Rs. 100,000* Second Place: Rs. 75,000* Third Place: Rs. 50,000* All three winners will be invited to Hyderabad for felicitation during the eIndia 2012 Awards Night on 15th November, 2012. Also, they will be given a stall at the eINDIA Exhibition for showcasing their innovation.

The winner(s) will be paid actual fare by Third AC from their place of study or hometown (both ways). Arrangements for their boarding/ lodging in Hyderabad will also be made by the eIndia 2012 Secretariat.

For Sponsorship enquiries, contact Sheena Joseph Cherian, sheena@elets.in +91-8860651644

eINDIA.eletsonline.com

in conversation

mHealth is Making Waves “mHealth is an emerging segment in the field of healthcare,” says Gurbans Chatwal, Co-founder and Head of Partnerships, Mobilitas, in conversation with Nikita Apraj, Elets News Network (ENN) cerning. Firstly, mHealth uses mobile and other wireless devices to monitor and collect personal health data, and deliver healthcare information. This makes data security a major concern, as patient information is sensitive and confidential. The other key concern is acceptance of not just the technology but also the solution by various stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals and insurance companies. The role of government in creating an enabling environment will be critical to achieve a steep adoption cycle.

What are the driving factors in using mobile devices in healthcare in India?

There are three driving factors that underline the importance of smartphones and other mobile devices in healthcare.

The first factor is ‘reach’. With a 20-fold growth of active mobile users in the last three years, mobile devices have made the jump over any economic divide that exists across urban and rural areas. Broadband penetration on the other hand is quite scarce outside the metropolitan areas and stands at a low of seven percent. Second factor is ‘affordability’. Development of various healthcare-related consumer and medical apps will allow people to have easy access to customised information and to specialised care when it is not available locally. This savesprecious time and money spent by patients in travelling and cost of care. Third factor is ‘productivity’.

Emergence of applications that can be integrated for better analytics and clinical decision support intervention will al-

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low paramedics and nurses to perform more value adding tasks.

To what extent has mHealth advanced in other countries?

The recent PwC report gives a good snapshot across emerging economies and developed nations. It is an emerging field and US leads the way in technology and user adoption maturity. Some studies have shown that about 30 percent of consumers in US use mobile phone for health. Interestingly, we see that even though millions of healthcare related apps have been downloaded, doctors in the US typically do not use more than seven on a daily basis and about 60 percent doctors in US use mHealth through their tablets or mobile phones. The growing popularity and serious use has now attracted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for medical apps in US. What are the concerns related to mHealth?

There are two points that are most con-

Tell us on some of the technologies behind a robust mHealth platform?

We as a company are rooted to the belief that a ‘Mobile First’ strategy and focus on design are absolutely important for creating disruptive innovations and pleasant experiences. This applies to mHealth platform also where the solution designed with mobility at its heart should integrate the entire lifecycle of healthcare services. It should offer a connectivity and collaboration platform for all stakeholders such as doctors, pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, pathology labs, payment systems, insurance companies, etc. In the next five to ten years we can expect to see diagnostics, tele-medicine and personalised treatments to be sufficiently impacted to create new paradigms. The technology stack of today such as 3G/4G networks, cloud infrastructure, iOS/Android OS, etc. are adequate. There are instead need for innovative business models and solutions, and interoperability and integration with existing infrastructure. The future will see “monkey proof” apps that are intuitive to use, accessibility to real time data and analytics, and intelligent clinical decision support intervention.

news

Scientists Feel India Should Introduce HTA After attending the 5th Asia Pacific Conference of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) at Taipei in Taiwan in early this month, Scientists of Pharmacoeconomics observed India should introduce the Healthcare Technology Assessment (HTA) in a better way in order to assess the effective use of medicines, devices, equipment and other interventions used in health care.

The technology assessment tool can find out effects of drug actions including adverse drug reactions, felt Dr Y Padmanabha Reddy and Dr Dixon Thomas, the pharmacoeconomic scientists at the Raghavendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, who represented India in the conference.

BD, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals Join Hands

With an objective to improve patient safety in India, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of hospitals have come together to launch the Centre of Excellence in Phlebotomy in Mumbai. This landmark initiative will provide certified phlebotomy courses to healthcare professionals, laboratory technicians, assistants and nurses, and support them in driving best practices in preanalytical processes for accurate and reliable diagnosis. BD associates will conduct workshops on phlebotomy based on good laboratory practices. Twenty healthcare workers will be trained during the first workshop.

Speaking on the occasion, Manoj Gopalakrishna, Managing Director, BD – India said, “With this collaboration, BD will continue its commitment toward sharing knowledge and enhancing clinical practices in creating sustainable improvements in healthcare. It is part of BD’s ongoing commitment to fulfilling its purpose of helping all people live healthy lives.”

BD will impart intensive training on fundamental principles of safe blood collection; specimen handling and reporting that will help develop the critical capacity of maintaining first-rate specimen quality and protect the safety of patients and medical staff. The hospital will also house a simulation laboratory that will offer the opportunity to learn and practice in a realistic yet risk-free environment. This new initiative will strengthen laboratory services by improving the quality of patient specimens and reducing incidence of needlestick injuries, thereby improving safety for both patients and healthcare workers.

Trivitron Healthcare Forms a JV with Johari Digital Healthcare Trivitron Healthcare, the largest Indian MNC in Medical Technology Solutions provider entered into a partnership with Johari Digital Healthcare to market physiotherapy products, point of care diagnostic products for global markets and for obtaining patents in the field of physiotherapy. Named as Johari Trivitron Medical Innovations Pvt Ltd, the new partnership will full fill the requirement of contract design and engineering /manufacturing. It will leverage contract research and development projects from the global partner.

The new partnership between the FDA approved innovative medical device provider, Johari Digital Healthcare and Trivitron Healthcare that has recently bagged the award in Growth, Innovation and Leadership segment, is expected to research and development in parent organization and global markets through contract design and engineering or manufacturing and contract research and development.

Operational in countries such as India, South and South East Asia, Middle East and Africa, the new venture would be able to address a larger portion of medical equipment market in the country.

Medtronic Commits USD 6 Million for Underserved India One year after the historic United Nations High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), Medtronic has announced a five-year, USD 6 million philanthropic commitment in India to accelerate programs specifically designed to expand access to quality care and management of diabetes and heart disease, two of the world’s leading killers.

“Coming out of the U.N. High Level Meeting, it’s been our pledge to help drive action at the country level, and then share those results globally, “said Dr. Jacob Gayle, Executive Director of the Medtronic Foundation and Vice President, Medtronic Community Affairs. “By focusing on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we hope to strengthen overall health systems in order to expand access in underserved communities.” october / 2012 ehealth.eletsonline.com

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Free Medicine Scheme Gets Approval; `1,300 Crore Boost Coming from NRHM Indian healthcare sector has got something to cheer about now as India has made its first major move towards providing free medicines for all. Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has cleared `1,300 crore under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme for states to support their purchase of medicines.

The largesse will not only help buy general drugs for government-run hospitals but also those needed under the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). Under the JSSK, all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions are entitled to free and cashless delivery, free C-section , exemption from user charges, free medicines, blood,

consumables and diagnostics and free diet for three days in case of normal delivery and seven days in case of Csection. The minister has also asked the states to prepare a policy articulation document, an essential drugs list and standard treatment protocols and introduce a procurement system and supply chain management.

Apollo Hospitals Win Asian Hospital Management Awards 2012 Apollo Hospitals has been declared as winner in four categories at The Asian Hospital Management Awards 2012. The finalists were chosen out of 363 entries representing 89 hospitals from 12 countries. Winners were announced today during the Gala Dinner and Awards Night at Melia Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. More than 800 delegates from 25 countries attended the hospital management awards in Hanoi

where over 55 speakers from across the globe came together and shared their experiences in the healthcare domain.

The Group’s Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi has been awarded for its “Apollo Community Outreach Programme” and “Improving Patient Satisfaction Levels” while the Apollo Gleneagles in Kolkata has received awards for its efforts in ensuring “Increased Productivity

through reduction of length of stay” and Project ESCALATE (Eleven Strategies to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance Rate).

Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group (India) said, “This is a very proud moment for all of us at the Apollo Hospitals Group. It is extremely rewarding to see two of our facilities getting nominated at such a prestigious event.”

AIIMS-Jodhpur Commences Session with 50 Students The second prestigious medical institution in the country, AIIMS Jodhpur has commenced its maiden session recently. This is the first among the six AIIMS, announced by the NDA government in 2004, besides the one in New Delhi. It started its session with induction of 50 students, of which 30 are from Rajasthan.

Addressing the inaugural session, its founder-director and noted onco surgeon Sanjeev Mishra termed the institute as a temple of knowledge and committed to highest standards of teaching, research and treatment. He called upon the students to commit them to the course with all seriousness and set standards for future batches.

He advised the students to put in themselves wholeheartedly

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not only to become a good doctor but a good human being also. “There is no short-cut to success and there is no alternative to hard work,” he said.

Referring to the academic atmosphere of the institute, Mishra also said there will be a zero tolerance to any sort of indiscipline in the institute and said that after induction of the students, there will not be any discrimination along caste, creed, religion and financial or social status.

Joint secretary, Union health ministry, Rakesh Kumar said the construction of the building started in 2006 and now the academic block has been completed, which enabled commencement of the session. “From next September, we will start the hospital, which will have 950 beds including trauma unit,” he said.

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Carestream Dental Launches the CS 7600 Featuring Fully Automated, Secure X-ray Workflow Carestream Dental has launched sales of the CS 7600, its latest digital intraoral radiography system that reinvents imaging plate technology – improving usability, productivity and security with an innovative and fully automated workflow.

The CS 7600 includes exclusive Scan & Go technology that uses Smart Plates to prevent plate mix-up and reduce operation time. This feature – another industry first –identifies the plates electronically with patient information, allowing the device to automatically route scanned images to the proper computer and patient file.

The system’s user-friendly operation automatically detects improper plate insertion, providing clear instructions for correction on a large-format, color display. Practitioners can easily scan and display single or multiple plates and full mouth series. Afterwards,

Fortis Gets Three Notable Doctors in the Field of Bariatrics and Neurosurgery Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) has announced the appointment of three renowned Doctors to provide latest and cutting edge solution to complex medical problems by ensuring genuine treatment in a compassionate, dependable and distinctive manner.

Dr Muffazal Lakdawala Director and Chief – Bariatric, Advanced Minimal Access and Metabolic Surgery: Dr Muffazalis one of Asia’s most eminent Laparoscopic and Bariatric surgeons. He has joined the Fortis group of hospitals as Director & Chief – Bariatric, Advanced Minimal Access and Metabolic Surgery, as well as Chairman – Bariatric Surgery Council. He is the first surgeon in Asia to perform Scar-less Sleeve Gastrectomy Weight-loss Surgery and the only Indian surgeon to perform live bariatric surgeries in almost every country of the continent.

Dr Rana Patir – Director and Head of Department of Neurosurgery: Dr Rana Patir to his credit has the unique feat of establishing successful Epilepsy Surgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Skull base surgery, Neurovascular surgery and Spine surgery during his span of 10 years in this profession. Prior to this he served at various senior levels in different hospitals inDelhi.

Dr Sandeep Vaishya – Additional Director, Neurosurgery: Dr Sandeep is an experienced Doctor, proficient in Intracranial Tumor Surgery, Functional Neurosurgery (DBS), Spinal Surgery and Peripheral Nerve Surgery with special interest in Brachial Plexus injuries and Gamma Knife Radio Surgery. Prior to this he served as a Faculty in the Department of Neurosurgery at AIIMS. He was also the Head of the Department of Neurosurgery in a renowned hospital in Delhi.

plates are automatically erased for reuse. Multiple users can work on the system at the same time, as the system is always ready for use, with no waiting time required.

“The CS 7600 supports batch scanning of mixed patient plates effortlessly and securely, removing the risk of operator mistakes,” said Edward Shellard, D.M.D., chief marketing officer and director of business development for Carestream Dental. “The CS 7600 goes beyond all the essentials required for top performance, speed and high image quality. Thanks to the Scan & Go technology, it offers practitioners an easier workflow and an improved user experience.”

Organised Healthcare Fragmenting into Niches There was a time when only corporate hospitals, modern diagnostic centres and retail pharmacies defined organised healthcare in urban India. Now,‘family doctor clinics’, ‘dialysis centres’ and such are also seeking to harness India’s healthcare industry which will touch USD 79 billion by 2012-end.

For example, corporate hospital chains including Apollo, Fortis, Max, Manipal, such niche centres are everywhere; in Bangalore, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, as well as tier II towns like Shimoga, Hassan, Kakinada etc.

“Typically severe heart and neuro ailments, gastrointestinal problems, chemotherapy, birthing and delivery and surgeries require hospital visits and stay. Rest can be tackled through niche centres,” said

a doctor from a Bangalorebased hospital chain.

More so because about 70-80 percent of all medical cases resulting from infectious diseases like malaria and typhoid to lifestyle disorders like obesity and hypertension can be addressed by the family doctor, experts said. It has been found that in 75 percent of cases, however, people run to super-specialists or visit hospitals unnecessarily.

Similarly, every time kidney dialysis is required does not mean getting admitted to a hospital, said Vikram Vuppala, co-founder of Hyderabad based kidney care chain NephroPlus. “Patients can get the dialysis done through specialised centres and head home within hours.”

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Medical Sector Likely to Catch Investors’ Fancy

With the state government planning to dole out subsidies for private players to invest in healthcare and medical tourism, the sector is expected to grab attraction of the investors during the forthcoming Global Investors Meet (GIM) scheduled in October. The Indore Development Authority (IDA) is also focusing on the super corridor area where medical hub is proposed and where authorities are hoping will persuade potential investors to reap benefits.

“State government’s decision to pave way for private investment in health sector will definitely attract investors to set up their businesses and will lead to expansion in health services,’ said KK Maheshwari, chief executive engineer, IDA. The state government, following the introduction of health service investment policy 2012, is expecting Rs 10,000 crore investments in the health sector. The government would provide land at a nominal cost to the private players to open medical colleges and hospitals. The government will also give subsidy and sops to attract investments. The government plans to get 100-bed hospital opened in places having a population of 10 lakh or more.

During the last year’s GIM, only a few super-speciality hospital groups had shown interest in the proposed medical hub.

But, with the new health policy, big players like Wockhardt, Max, Apollo and Fortis are now eyeing to set up hospitals in the city. They have sought details about the prevalence of diseases in the region and even conducted a brief survey. Some have even given their proposal in writing, said a source.

The government also aims to provide loan subsidy for establishment of micro, small and medium scale manufacturing industries. However, pharma players are skecptical that the policy will benefit small scale industries. Himanshu Shah, one of the members of pharmaceutical association, said; “The policy will definitely encourage organised pharma industries to set up their units but there are little chances that it will help small scale industries until and unless the state government helps them with finance, marketing and promotion.”

NRI Doctors Plan to Start Private Medical College in Madurai A state-of-the-art medical college is likely to be established by a group of NRI doctors in the outskirts of Madurai.

The 700-bedded proposed hospitalcum-medical college will be established

by August 2014 at A Thottiapatti on the Madurai – Rajapalayam Road, P Madhu, director of the project has informed.

Mandira Institute of Medical Sciences promoted by Mandira Healthcare Infrastructure Limited, is a flagship institution planned by NRI doctors in United States and Canada who want to come back to India. “The first phase of the project – a multi-speciality 300-bed hospital – will begin functioning in December 2013 and the medical college is expected to com-

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mence its academic session in August 2014,” he stated.

“Along with providing tertiary care to the people in southern districts as Madurai is an important place for the southern districts, we aspire to revolutionise the medical education with various advance teaching methodologies,” he mentioned.

The medical college will utilise methods like digital teaching boards and virtual dissection methodology with the intention of introducing digital teaching technology used in best medical schools in the world.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the technical provider, who has supplied the virtual dissection board technology to Stanford University

School of Medicine. Another technology to be used in the institution will be bio-digital human system presently used at the New York University School of Medicine, he said.

“We want to utilise the money we made in foreign countries for a noble cause and out of 10 NRI doctors promoting this venture, seven are planning to come back,” Madhu stated.

The 300-crore project is said to provide direct employment to 500 persons and another 5,000 jobs through indirect employment. They have chosen Madurai for the institution after a thorough assessment and market survey finding a huge need and potential for a tertiary level teaching hospital in the region, the promoters said.

eHealth, Asia’s first monthly magazine on the enterprise of healthcare, is pleased to announce its eindia special issue in the month of November, 2012

The next issue of eHEALTH magazine focuses on the healthcare sector of

Andhra Pradesh Key segments covered • Healthcare Schemes • Regulatory Issues in Healthcare • Medical Education • Health IT Applications • Current Technologies used by Hospitals

About eINDIA 2012 eIndia Health Summit, the eighth edition of India’s largest ICT event, is being convened from 15-16 November, 2012 at HICC, Andhra Pradesh, India (www.eINDIA.net.in). The event is being hosted by Government of Andhra Pradesh and organized by AICTE; CSDMS and Elets Technomedia Pvt. Ltd. The event is being co-organised by UNESCO and NCERT. The event is being supported by Telemedicine Society of India (TSI), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Health Level Saven (HL7) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

About eHEALTH eHEALTH is a premier print and online monthly publication focusing on the cutting-edge healthcare ICTs and medical technologies. It offers three unique media platforms (viz. monthly print magazine, weekly e-Newsletters and a web portal) for delivering rich, relevant and up-to-date information for its readers and consumers spanning across the healthcare industry.

Contact us now to take advantage of the opportunity of being part of eHEALTH’s special edition for the month of November 2012.

ehealth.eletsonline.com

The magazine will reach to the following stakeholders all over India • Senior hospital administrators, managers, CXOs, IT Heads, top doctors, and healthcare professionals • Ministers, health secretaries, senior officials at health • Important functionaries at funding agencies in health space • Healthcare consultants and experts • Vendors and suppliers of hospital materials, technologies, equipment and devices • IT vendors .....& many others The magazine will be released at eINDIA Health Summit on 15-16th November 2012 at HICC, Hyderabad.

For Advertising queries, contact Shally Makin, shally@elets.in; +91-8527697687 Suman Pokhriyal, suman@elets.in; +91-9910998068 For Editorial queries, contact Sharmila Das, sharmila@elets.in; +91-8860651641

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