IndiaMedToday April 2022 by IndiaMedToday

APRIL 2022, VOLUME 6 ISSUE 04 `200 INDIA MED TODAY

Environment and health

APRIL 2022

INTERVIEW There is No Shortage of Opportunities for Digital Health Tech Solutions in India

APPROACH Future of TB Diagnostics is WSG

RESEARCH End of Life Care

INSIGHT A Not so Good Idea to Study on Foreign Shores

Edit Note

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April 2022 EDITORIAL Editor Neelam Kachhap Sub-Editor Abishek Raj editorial@ indiamedtoday.com

Environmental pollution and its impact on health

BOARD OF ADVISORS Dr Alexander Thomas Dr Girdhar Gyani

WHO has predicted that more than seven million people across the

Dr Prem Kumar Nair

world lose their lives due to diseases linked with PM2.5 pollution. The

Dr Bhabatosh Biswas

environment we live in is becoming polluted day by day thanks to the

Dr Alok Roy

relentless exploitation of natural resources. This is resulting in health hazards, especially for the children and the old. Air, industrial and noise pollution, additives and medication to livestock, etc are all leading to health complications among many, which need to be seriously looked into.

Ramesh Kannan

CONSULTING EDITOR Dr Libert Anil Gomes Dr Salil Choudhary Venkatesh Ganesh ART & PRODUCTION

The April issue cover story has a special focus on the environmental

ScreeTract | Shylesh ADVERTISING Gunjan Chauhan gunjanc@indiamedtoday.com The Media Ant help@themediaant.com DIGITAL MARKETING Vivek Nair

pollution that is culminating in serious health hazards like how environmental pollution is leading to the kidney and liver being affected besides leading to diabetes, cardiological, neurological issues etc. Experts have opined on the health setbacks and the way out. How we tackle this menace will only say what our future beholds. You could also write to us and let us know your views. Send in your letters to editorial@ indiamedtoday.

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April 2022

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CONTENTS

Facebook

APPROACH

INTERVIEW

RESEARCH

Future of TB Diagnostics is WSG

Adopting Accessibility, Affordability and Availability

End of life care

18 COVER STORY

Environment and Health

April 2022

UPFRONT

03 Editorial 05 Letters 06 News Roundup 36 Insight 38 Study www.indiamedtoday.com

CHECKIT OUT ONLINE

Letters

onsidering the rising patient population of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders in India, it is important to focus on technology and research for treatment solutions. Karnataka has a phenomenal healthcare and medical education ecosystem. We now need to increase investments in medical research. I would like the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to align with Parkinson's Research initiative. We would provide not only professors but also funds for this important research programme on Parkinson’s. I would also like to allocate some funds for the treatment of Parkinson’s patients in Karnataka out of the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education and Health, Govt of Karnataka

Tuberculosis of the uterus varies from region to region, state to state, from place to place, and from person to person. The challenge here is to diagnose tuberculosis of the uterus, tubes and genital system. This is a very difficult process to conduct, as it requires a series of dedicated procedures, including a scan, CT scan and MRI and Blood tests for TB among women. If untreated, A nodule that is two centimetres can soon spread all over the intestine and the abdomen. Dr B Ramesh, Founder, and Urology Laboratory Laparoscopic Surgeon, Altius Hospital COVID-19 has had a significant impact on TB across different aspects. In terms of disease burden, it is expected that reporting and initiating TB therapy for new patients may have been compromised due to severely limited access to healthcare. On the positive side, the rapid adoption of genome sequencing infrastructure for covid, opens up the immediate possibility of using Genomics based diagnostics for TB, which is increasingly been accepted as the next big revolution in TB management. In general, while the existing TB infrastructure was crucial for tackling covid, the expanded Covid infrastructure gives us the opportunity to try and make up ground lost in TB control during covid. Dr Anirvan Chatterjee, Co-Founder and CEO, HaystackAnalytics World Health Day is a great reminder to recognise efforts, assess and collaborate for the transformation of health programmes that India needs to achieve for impact at the grassroots. India is tackling a complex rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with NCDs accounting for more than 60 per cent of the deaths today. The Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family

Welfare (MoH&FW) has an ambitious NCD programme that works on prevention, detection, monitoring and management of NCDs at population-scale. With the adoption of technology that enables actionable insights for the Government, this programme is exemplifying how technology can improve service delivery at a scale. Sunita Nadhamuni, Head of Global Social Innovation, Dell Technologies The pandemic has highlighted the need for better healthcare infrastructure and digitisation of healthcare services. In the last two years, we've witnessed major improvements on these fronts but there's still a long way to go. In many places, we still see healthcare workers who rely primarily on traditional practices such as using pen-paper to make health data records of patients. Apart from this, the healthcare industry is far behind in terms of patient centricity and friendliness. This calls for a careful restructuring of our medical environment to make it more focussed on customer experience and digitisation. Himesh Joshi, Co-Founder and CEO, Ayu Health Hospitals Down’s Syndrome accounts for one in every 900 live births in India. It is a condition where the baby has an extra copy of a chromosome 21. Hence Down’s syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21. This results in altered development of the baby’s body and brain posing physical challenges in life. Although not curable, the condition can be managed through life with neurodevelopmental therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy. Dr Mitesh Shetty, HOD & Consultant - Medical Genetics, Manipal Hospital

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News Roundup real-intelligence hand-held robotics solution for joint replacement surgeries.

University of Glasgow names research centre after John Shaw, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw The University of Glasgow has honoured John

Shaw,

Biocon,

former

and

Executive

Kiran

Vice-Chairman

Mazumdar-Shaw,

Chairperson

Biocon

and Biocon Biologics, by naming the University’s new research centre after them.

The

Mazumdar-Shaw

Advanced

Research Centre will be home to over 500 researchers from a range of disciplines, facilitating world-changing collaborative research. The £116 million building will (L-R) Shunsuke Honda, Senior Manager Medical System Division, Fujifilm India, Koji Wada, MD Fujifilm India and Chander Shekhar Sibal, Head of Division, Medical Division, Fujifilm India

officially open in June 2022.

Qure.ai raises $40 M Qure.ai (Qure) has secured $40 million

Fujifilm India unveils range of CT, MRI and ultrasound machines

SRV Hospitals, Lokmanya Hospital launch centre on robotic orthopaedics

Fujifilm India unveiled a new range of products at the 74th National Annual Conference of IRIA 2022. The latest portfolio includes a plethora of products offering complete and integrated solutions for diagnostic purposes including CT, MRI, X-ray, AI, PACS, endoscopy and ultrasound systems through the Scenaria View, Supria series, The Echelon Smart and Arietta series.

SRV Hospitals Group in association with

and strengthen its global reach, especially

Lokmanya Hospital, Pune has launched

in the US and Europe, and intensify

a new centre of excellence in robotic

product development for critical care and

orthopaedics under the umbrella of SRV

community diagnostics.

LHPL Centre of excellence for Robotic Orthopaedics. The centre will focus on ensuring

cutting-edge

technology

and

state of the art infrastructure as a part of its core foundation. The department will be equipped with the CORI Robotics Surgical System, the most advanced and efficient,

Medtronic launches PRAAN India Medtronic announced the launch of India’s first-ever dedicated registry for the collection of real-world data associated with the use of revascularisation devices in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. The Prospective Registry for Assessment of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Neurothrombectomy Devices in India (PRAAN) is an industry-first endeavour to

create

post-market

registry

assess clinical outcomes associated with the use of Medtronic market-released revascularisation

devices

patients

experiencing acute ischemic stroke.

April 2022

The launch of new centre of excellence

in a funding round led by Novo Holdings and HealthQuad, supported by existing investor MassMutual Ventures. Qure.ai will use the new investment to extend

Alembic Pharma buys full stake in Aleor Dermaceuticals Alembic Pharmaceuticals has acquired the balance 40 per cent stake in Aleor

Dermaceuticals from its JV Partner Orbicular Pharmaceutical Technologies to strengthen its skin-related manufacturing and marketing footprint. The amalgamation will integrate business operations and provide impetus to the existing portfolio of Alembic. The acquisition augers well with the strategic planning and growth trajectory set by the company to capture a higher market share in various segments of its pharmaceutical business.

Aster DM Healthcare signs MoU with TN govt Aster DM Healthcare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Tamil Nadu, to set up its facilities in the state. The MoU was presented by Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare, who met MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, during his visit to Dubai. The MoU proposed an investment of Rs 500 crores in hospitals, pharmacies and laboratories in the state. This will help provide quality healthcare at an affordable cost to the people of Tamil Nadu and generate employment for more than 3500 people. Stalin has encouraged the initiative and ensured support to the healthcare group. This will further expand the services of Aster to all the South Indian states.

Aurobindo acquires domestic formulations biz of Veritaz Healthcare Aurobindo announced the acquisition of the domestic formulation business of Veritaz on a slump sale basis. With this acquisition, Aurobindo is marked its first step to set its footprint in the Indian domestic market as announced earlier. The transaction is agreed upon at a consideration of Rs 171 crore on a debt-free cash-free basis. The transaction comes into effect on April 1, 2022, and is expected to close by May 2022. This acquisition vehicle will greatly help Aurobindo as a launchpad for marketing biosimilar and other products in India.

MedPiper acquires MedWriter MedPiper, a Y-Combinator and MeITy, Government of India backed healthcare company, has acquired MedWriter, an AI writing assistant for doctors. MedWriter is a product designed and built by Lonere Labs, a Bengaluru-based product lab run by Abhijeet Katte. The move is in line with MedPiper’s focus to enable healthcare practitioners to express themselves better in the public domain, especially in light of the covid pandemic when there was a marked need for expert opinion and information. Already 1,000+ doctors and healthcare researchers have signed up to use MedWriter.

IRIA, Corporeal Health Solutions unveil AI-based screening system for covid, TB The

Indian

Association with

Radiological (IRIA),

Chennai-based

Solutions

(CHS),

Gardner Orthopedics, a recognised figure in orthopaedic treatment and surgery located in Fort Myers, Florida, and Shalby Advanced Technologies, a division of Shalby Hospitals, headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, announced an Indo-US collaboration to form Advanced Orthopedic Centres of Excellence at 11 multispecialty Shalby Hospitals in India and form Shalby Orthopedic Centres of Excellence in Fort Myers, Florida, and across India.

Doceree names Matt Botkin as Senior VP – Business Development, Point-of-Care Doceree announced the appointment of Matt Botkin as Senior Vice President – Business Development, Point-of-Care. As the company expands its Point-of-Care division, Botkin is poised to lead Doceree’s strategic partnerships with health systems in the North American market. Throughout his career, Botkin has displayed an aptitude for growing organisations and introducing new technologies in the life sciences industry. With a prolific skill set for building a rapport with business leaders in the space, he will bolster Doceree’s alignment with health systems to enrich point-of-care communication offerings. His innovative mindset to create business initiatives that improve patient outcomes, and the cost of care are integral to fostering a greater value for the company’s associates in the category.

collaboration

Corporeal

which

Imaging

US-based Gardner Orthopedics ties up with Shalby Advanced Technologies

Health

specialises

providing innovative, cognitive Artificial Intelligence-based

technology

the

healthcare industry, has launched state-ofthe-art screening systems that streamline COVID-19 and tuberculosis protocols at international airports. Named CHOCO, this innovative product is the first-of-its-kind to be introduced in Asia. The initiative was inaugurated at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) by Dr (L-R) MK Stalin and Dr Azad Moopen

Pushpraj Bhatele.

Matt Botkin

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News Roundup investor). The funds raised will be used for scaling up their product offering and adding more skill training content to their library. MediSimVR aims to make comprehensive medical training accessible and affordable across the world through its current offerings which include procedural simulation, virtual patient simulation and clinical education. They have been able to onboard almost 500 medical students in the last four months.

(L-R) Mahesh Pratapneni and Dr Felix Olale

MedGenome announces leadership transitions

Evercare Group launches Evercare Foundation

MedGenome, South Asia’s leading genomics research and diagnostics company, announced that Sam Santhosh, co-founder and currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will transition from his executive leadership role and move to the company’s Board of Directors. Mahesh Pratapneni, who co-founded MedGenome with Santhosh, and has been the Chief Strategy Officer, will take over as Group CEO. Dr Felix Olale, Partner of LeapFrog Investments, who has served as a Board member after leading a $55 million investment into MedGenome in 2020, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. This new leadership, along with the existing core management team, will continue to lead the company’s next phase of growth.

The Evercare Group announced the launch of the Evercare Foundation, a non-profit organisation working towards equitable health for all and the development of more resilient health systems across the lowand middle-income countries in Africa and South Africa. The foundation will serve as the philanthropic arm of the Evercare Group and will build on the footprint of the Evercare Group of 29 hospitals, 13 clinics, 88 diagnostic centres and have access to 11,400 caregivers, serving over 3.3 million people in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya.

Israel’s Bar Ilan University launches course on 3D Printing in Medicine Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in Galilee has launched a new course, that aims to provide exposure to the use of innovative three-dimensionalbased technologies for medical treatment.

IET India to lead disease surveillance project with CHRI The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) India is leading a disease surveillance project in partnership with CHRI (Centre for Health Research and Innovation) that will use publicly available non-personal data to improve India’s public health infrastructure’s preparedness for disease outbreaks by predicting outbreaks. The project is funded by Siemens Healthineers, India as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Director of the Department of Oral &

MedisimVR raises Rs 3.5 Cr in Pre-Series A round

Maxillofacial Surgery at the Galilee Medical

MedisimVR, a med-tech company working

Center. The course, “Tomorrow’s Medicine

in the field of healthcare simulation, has

– An Introduction to Tissue Regeneration

raised Rs 3.5 crore in a Pre-Series A round

and 3D Printing”, will be given by the

led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round

Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

saw participation from Chennai Angels

at the Galilee Medical Center.

and

The course will be led by Prof Samer Srouji,

April 2022

Jana

Balasubramaniam

(MedTech

MoH&FW awards J&K’s three districts under National TB elimination prog Jammu Kashmir Health & Medical Education Department’s efforts toward TB elimination received major validation with three districts of Union Territory – Anantnag, Pulwama and Kupwara receiving gold medals under the Sub National Certification for TB Elimination programme in the country. The activity was undertaken by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. A total of eight districts in the country were awarded the Gold medal and J&K has three districts on this list. Five other districts which have secured gold medals are Malappuram and Wayanad in Kerala, Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, and Purba Medinipur in West Bengal. All these districts have shown 60-80 per cent reduction in TB cases in the last five years.

Chandra Ganjoo is the New Group CEO of Trivitron Healthcare Trivitron Healthcare, a global medical technology company, has announced

Chandra Ganjoo

Chandra Ganjoo as Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO) of Trivitron Healthcare with immediate effect. She brings in a unique experience and strong skills to lead Trivitron Healthcare into its next phase of profitable growth. Ganjoo, joined Trivitron Healthcare in 1999 and has played several positions in the organisation, has been a foundation of strength and progress. Since 1999, she has worked in sales, marketing, corporate communication, human resource management, cost controller, and a variety of other areas. She has risen in prominence, particularly in the last five years, when the company transformed from a predominantly trading and distribution company to a global R&D and manufacturing MNC by demonstrating exceptional compassionate people management skills, hard work, process compliance, and commitment.

Snowflake launches healthcare, life science data cloud Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, announced the launch of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Data Cloud. With the Snowflake Healthcare & Life Sciences Data Cloud, healthcare companies have a single, integrated, and cross-cloud data platform that eliminates technical and institutional data silos. This will enable organisations to securely centralise, integrate, and exchange critical and sensitive data at scale. Snowflake ensures high levels of data security and governance, and its built-in capabilities and extended partner network better allow companies to meet compliance requirements and satisfy industry regulations.

Dr Lokesh B, Consultant Neurology, Aster CMI Hospital, Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare and Dr Phaneendra K Yalavarthy, Professor of Medical Imaging, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, IISc Director, Aster DM Healthcare, Dr Lokesh B, Consultant Neurology, Aster CMI Hospital and Dr Phaneendra K Yalavarthy, Professor of Medical Imaging, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, IISc were present during the launch.

IHH Healthcare India appoints Biju Nair as COO of Bengaluru cluster IHH

Healthcare

appointment

keeping

with

its

commitment

at Kengeri and Gleneagles Global Hospital (a super speciality hospital) at Richmond Road. Biju Nair will be primarily leading the business and PnL for the Bengaluru cluster and will be directly reporting to Anurag Yadav, CEO, IHH Healthcare India.

Home health and fitness products brand JSB Healthcare has raised Rs 2.5 crore from Velocity.in across two rounds of financing. Based out of New Delhi, JSB Healthcare is one of India’s leading brands in the health and fitness industry. JSB Healthcare carries a vast line of products such as massage chairs, sports & fitness equipment, patient care, and wellness products.

IMD, Govt of Odisha launch Malaria Planning and Prediction Toolkit Malaria No More India unveiled the operations of the Malaria Prediction and Planning System under the ‘Forecasting Healthy Futures’ (FHF) initiative – a consortium convened in 2020 by Malaria No More and Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi’s ‘Reaching the Last Mile’ initiative. The sophisticated system, powered by the Malaria Prediction and Planning Toolkit (MPPT), is a 360° solution basket and has been developed under FHF in partnership with the Government of Odisha. MPPT is the first of its kind toolkit that uses an advanced data-driven, AI-powered, storytelling system to strengthen early warning systems and health decision making.

AffordPlan partners with Milann Fertility

Intelligence (AI) lab today. The Aster-AI lab is collaborative, set up to build cutting edge AI products in the healthcare domain and bridge the gap between clinical training

healthcare professionals in AI. Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing

the Chief

oncology and advanced gastro science)

of Science (IISc) launched an Artificial

great repute for multi-organ transplants,

in association with the Indian Institute

technology

announced Nair

Global Hospital (a tertiary care hospital of

medical technology, Aster CMI Hospital

and

Biju

cluster which includes BGS Gleneagles

bringing quality healthcare using the latest

medicine

India

Operating Officer (COO) of the Bengaluru

Aster CMI Hospital, IISc launch Artificial Intelligence Lab In

JSB Healthcare Raises Rs 1.3 crore from Velocity

Biju Nair

AffordPlan, announced Fertility & affordable treatments

a healthcare finance company, a partnership with Milann Birthing Hospitals, to extend and accessible fertility to couples on their journey

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News Roundup bedded Ayush hospitals will be developed, one each at Mokokchung, at Nagaland University in Dimapur & Wokha. The Union Minister announced the setting up of a state-of-the-art Ayurvedic college at Longleng. The cost of this college is estimated at Rs 70 crore.

Dr Thiru Annaswamy to join Dept of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Texas University

The partnership ceremony to parenthood. With this partnership, AffordPlan’s Swasth cardholders can avail of fertility services at any Milann centres across India and enjoy cost savings on treatments.

Dr Azad Moopen bags Doctorate for Philanthropy by Amity University, Dubai

of Siliguri, Berhampore, Asansol, Burdwan and Bankura in West Bengal, along with Guwahati (Assam), Patna (Bihar), Ranchi and Dhanbad (Jharkhand) and Bhubaneshwar (Orissa). The labs will be connected to Lupin’s franchise collection centres, LupiMitra.

Aten Porus raises pre-series round

Dr Azad Moopen, Founder CMD, Aster DM Healthcare was awarded an honorary Doctorate for Philanthropy by Amity University, Dubai for his commitment to continue serving people in need and making healthcare affordable and accessible for millions of people each year across GCC and India. The doctorate was awarded at a convocation ceremony held at the Amity University Campus in Dubai.

Lupin unveils reference lab in Kolkata Lupin Diagnostics has launched its first reference laboratory in Kolkata. The new

Avammune Therapeutics (a spin-off from Aten Porus Lifesciences) secures a round of financing for the completion of IND enabling studies for their Immunooncology asset. This funding will help advance Avammune’s highly diversified pipeline of best-in-class and first-in-class assets for oncology and autoimmune disorders.

Union AYUSH Minister announces Rs 100-Cr investments in Nagaland The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping

and

Waterways

Sarbananda

reference laboratory at Kolkata has the

Sonowal announced a major investment

capabilities to conduct a broad spectrum of

of more than Rs 100 crores to develop

routine and specialised tests in the fields

the Ayush Healthcare sector in the state

of molecular diagnostics, cytogenetics,

of Nagaland today. One 30-bedded Ayush

flow cytometry, histopathology, cytology,

hospital and three 10-bedded hospitals

microbiology,

haematology,

along with one Ayurvedic college will be

immunology and routine biochemistry.

developed in the state with the allocated

Lupin

funds. An integrated Ayush Hospital was

laboratories in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar,

also inaugurated by the Union Minister

Jharkhand and Orissa to comprehensively

at Razha Chedema in Kohima earlier

cater to the East India region. These

today. The 30-bedded Ayush hospitals

processing labs will be located in the cities

will be developed at Kihpire while the 10

serology,

Diagnostics

April 2022

also

setting

Dr Thiru Annaswamy will join Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine on September 1 as the new chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Annaswamy currently serves as a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also serves as a staff physician and section chief in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the VA North Texas Health Care System/Dallas VA Medical Center.

Dr Thiru Annaswamy

Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine in Srinagar to be developed as COE The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the International Conference on “Diet and Nutrition in Unani Medicine for Good health & well-being” in Srinagar. On this occasion, the minister announced that the Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine will be developed as a

Centre of Excellence. The MoS for Ayush and WCD Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai also attended the conference.

Everlife acquires Research Instruments Group Everlife Holdings, a leading market access and distribution company in India and South East Asia, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Research Instruments Group (RI), a leading provider of scientific and laboratory instrumentation in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.RI currently employs over 70 people in four countries who provide a full suite of services including sales, marketing, service and regulatory and logistical support.

Venus Remedies wins WHO GDP certification Venus Remedies has received the coveted WHO Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Certification from Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, in a resounding endorsement of its quality services throughout the entire supply chain cycle.

Indian Society of Nephrology, AstraZeneca India join hands Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN) and AstraZeneca announced a multi-year partnership to create public awareness about kidney care and related health disorders, build education at the primary care physician-level on early diagnosis, prompt management and aid nationwide screening for at-risk patients and the general public to promote timely detection and holistic management.

Wipro GE Healthcare appoints Elie Chaillot to Board of Directors

(L-R) Dr Shravan Subramanyam, MD, Wipro GE Healthcare; Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro GE Healthcare and Chairman, Wipro Enterprises; and Elie Chaillot, President & CEO, Intercontinental Region, GE Healthcare within GE Healthcare, led by Chaillot. The Intercontinental region is a nearly $3 billion business unit with 10,000 employees, covering over 60 countries across Latin America, India and South Asia, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

LifeCell India launches comprehensive breast screen panel LifeCell, a leading comprehensive healthcare solutions provider announced the launch of the breast screen panel, a comprehensive genetic screening test that assesses the risk of breast cancer in women.LifeCell’s breast screen panel not only screens for the mutations in the most common BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes but also screens for all 20 high and moderate risk non-BRCA genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as outlined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines.

Alisha Moopen partners with rural activist Ruma Devi for health initiatives Alisha

Moopen,

Deputy

Managing

Director of Aster DM Healthcare led Aster Volunteers, the global CSR arm of Aster DM

the rural population of the Barmer District, alongside launching women empowerment initiatives.

Ankura launches pharma data integrity solution Ankura Consulting, a leading global expert services and advisory firm, announced the expansion of its pharmaceutical and biopharma regulatory compliance offering with the addition of a pharmaceutical data integrity solution within the data and technology practice, bolstering its comprehensive client advisory capabilities. With this solution, Ankura has enhanced its team of experts to support pharmaceutical clients’ compliance with the data integrity guidelines of multiple regulators through advanced digital technology. The offering includes an Early Warning System (EWS), an automated platform to help identify data integrity anomalies in real-time and assist companies in performing forensic data integrity investigations and remediation for any regulatory action such as form 483, warning letter and import alert.

Narayana Health City collaborates with Indian Cancer Society

Healthcare, to partner with India’s rural

Narayana

the

activist Ruma Devi, a Nari Shakti Puraskar

with the Indian Cancer Society has set

appointment of Elie Chaillot, President

2018 awardee to provide health access to

up a dedicated ACT (After Completion of

& CEO, GE Healthcare Intercontinental,

the rural household in Barmer, Rajasthan.

Therapy) Clinic. Dr Devi Prasad Shetty,

This

The partnership will see Aster Volunteers

Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health

announcement comes after the formation

and Ruma Devi collaborating to improve

along with Dr Emmanuel Rupert (Managing

access to primary healthcare services for

director and Group CEO, Narayana Health),

Wipro

its a

Healthcare

Board new

announced

Directors.

Intercontinental

Region

Health

City

association

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News Roundup emergency medical transportation services. StanPlus and Even will work closely to ensure that patients have access to 24/7, unlimited and panIndia emergency ambulance services that include road and air ambulance transportation and doctors on call.

67% Indians believe ‘Made in India’ vaccines are safer than developed abroad: Survey

Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health along with one of the childhood cancer survivor lighting the lamp and inaugurating the ACT Clinic at Narayana Health City and Kanchan Banerjee, Hon Secretary of Indian Cancer Society today inaugurated the department. Dr Purna Kurkure (Chairman – Oncology collegium, Narayana Health), Dr Sunil Bhat (Clinical Director and Lead of Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplants) and Dr Sharath Damodar (Clinical Director and Lead of Adult Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplants) and Children who have fought cancer successfully were also present at the event.

Ever Pharma launches western apomorphine therapy devices for Parkinson’s patients In a boon to patients of Parkinson’s Disease, advanced third-generation D-mine apomorphine pumps and pens (injections) manufactured by German pharma major Ever Pharma have been launched in Bengaluru by Celera Neuro Sciences. The state-of-the-art apomorphine-delivery devices, widely used in Europe, were unveiled by Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education & Health, Govt. of Karnataka, at the ongoing symposium on Parkinson’s Disease in Bengaluru, organised by King’s College London (KCL) and Parkinson’s Research Alliance of India (PRAI).

Axis Bank commits $150 M to SAMRIDH Healthcare

an MoU with IPE Global for the SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance facility. Under this partnership, Axis Bank will provide affordable finance of up to $150 million through SAMRIDH, to support health enterprises and innovators who would otherwise not have access to affordable debt financing. The ability to access loans will help them increase production and provide advanced health solutions to address COVID-19 along with other health emergencies, especially across the vulnerable communities of India from Tier II and III cities.

Govt announces major healthcare boost for Mizoram The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced a slew of measures to boost the AYUSH sector in Mizoram. The minister, along with the Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga, laid the foundation stones for six Ayush hospitals in Mizoram. In a further boost to healthcare infrastructure in the hill state of the Northeast, as many as 24 Ayush Health & Wellness Centres (HWC) were inaugurated across Mizoram.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, a global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader, announced the appointment of Serina Fischer as its General Manager for India operations. In her new role, Fischer will lead the company’s business in India, ensuring patient access to the company’s highly innovative medicines. Fischer has over 17 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and is an accomplished, dynamic leader with expertise in strategy, sales, marketing, and operations. She joined Takeda in 2017 and has held various leadership roles in its US affiliate.

Even – a health tech company and healthcare provider, and StanPlus – India’s emergency medical response company,

India’s healthcare infrastructure by signing

announced their partnership to provide

April 2022

Serina Fischer joins Takeda as GM for India

StanPlus partners with Even

Axis Bank has committed to strengthening

Saizen Global Insights & Consulting in collaboration with HEAL Foundation has conducted INDIA VAX-SCENE Survey on vaccine perception in February 2022. In the survey, 1106 respondents participated from across nine metro cities of India, with a mean age of 28.7 years. Among them, 45 per cent were women. Of them, 98 per cent has belief in COVID-19 vaccines. And 78-79 per cent are optimistic about life getting back to normal in the next two to five years from COVID-19 impacts, wherein 83 per cent believes that vaccines play a critical role in getting back to normal.

Serina Fischer

services such as genetic tests, genetic counselling, blood tests, health screening tests, antibody tests and COVID-19 RT-PCR tests.

Krsnaa Diagnostics secures contract with HP

The felicitation ceremony of Dr Sudarshan Ballal

Dr Sudarshan Ballal facilitated with honorary doctorate Manipal Hospitals is proud to announce that Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals has been facilitated with a doctorate of science honouris causa degrees (Sc.D./D.Sc.in science) by the Rani Channamma University during the 9th Annual Convocation at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgavi. Dr Ballal set up the first training programme in nephrology in Karnataka in 1999 and performed the first cadaver kidney transplantation in the state. The doctorate of science is obtained after a satisfactory evaluation of knowledge, research accomplishments, and a doctoral defence offered by only a few prestigious institutions in India.

(CDFD) in Hyderabad, Dr Mamta Muranjan of KEM Hospital, Dr KS Meenakshi Bhatt of Centre for Human Genetics, Bangalore, Dr Neerja Gupta of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi and Dr Sujatha Jagadeesh, of MediScan, Chennai are the other members of the panel.

Mapmygenome opens Genomics Experience Center in Bengaluru

Krsnaa Diagnostics announced its agreement with the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The tenure of the contract awarded will be up to five years and will be implemented in all government health institutions in the entire state of Himachal Pradesh. As per the contract, Krsnaa Diagnostics will be installing, operating and maintaining routine and advanced laboratory testing facilities at selected public health institutions. These include government medical colleges of the state, district/ general hospitals owned by the state government and community health centres (CHCs).

Trivitron Healthcare acquires US-based The Kennedy Company Trivitron Healthcare has acquired 100 per cent shareholding in the US-based, The Kennedy Company, a leading manufacturer of radiation protection X-ray shielding

Mapmygenome India opened its Genomics

material and acoustic barrier products.

Experience

Trivitron

Center

Bengaluru.

The

Healthcare

committed

NABL & ICMR certified centre is located

providing research-driven technologically

at Sector 7, HSR Layout. The new centre is

advanced

an expansion of Mapmygenome’s services

products and with this acquisition, the

provided in Hyderabad and Delhi. Now,

company has further strengthened its

customers can get access to distinctive

manufacturing presence in the US.

yet

affordable

healthcare

Dr Sheela Nampoothiri joins ICMR’s Rare Diseases National Consortium’s expert committee as co chair Sheela

Nampoothiri,

Head,

Paediatric

Genetics, Amrita Hospitals, Kochi has been selected as the co-chair and member of the Rare Diseases National Consortium, an expert committee under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for research related to the treatment of rare diseases. Dr

Ratna

Puri

from

Sir

Ganga

Ram

Hospital, Delhi is the Chairperson of the expert committee. Dr Ashwin Dalal, Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics

The launch of the Genomics Experience Centre

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News Roundup

Launch of BSc course at GITAM University

GITAM University, Pfizer launch BSc Chemistry Course Pfizer Healthcare in association with GITAM Deemed to be University, has launched an undergraduate programme in Chemistry (B.Sc. Chemistry Pfizer Programme). The programme has been designed with the help of GITAM faculty to develop qualified professionals to contribute and excel in the pharmaceutical industry. The course which will begin later this year was inaugurated to encourage students who have opted for the Pfizer Autonomous Teams (PAT) programme under B.Sc.Chemistry at GITAM Deemed to be University.

of Dr Navneet Singh as the Group Medical Director to ensure clinical excellence in all its verticals. With 17 years in the healthcare and healthcare facilities sector, Dr Singh will further strengthen StanPlus’ quest to deliver the ‘First Minute, Last Mile’ Healthcare promise to save millions of lives. Dr Navneet Singh is an experienced and senior professional with a demonstrated history in the hospital and healthcare industry. Over the years he has worked with the country’s esteemed healthcare institutes like Fortis Healthcare, Emsos Aviation, and Radiant Healthcare amongst others, driving excellence in the field of Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Nursing, Healthcare Management and Training, and Accreditation.

StanPlus appoints Dr Navneet Singh as Group Medical Director

IIT Delhi start-up Nanoclean launches Naso95

StanPlus has announced the appointment

IIT Delhi start-up Nanoclean Global has launched the world’s smallest wearable air purifier which is at par effective with an N95 grade face mask. The launch ceremony at IIT Delhi observed a gathering of doctors and government officials. Rajesh Kumar Pathak cadre, Secretary Technology Development Board, Government of India was the chief guest and Dr MC Mishra, ExDirector AIIMS, Delhi was guest of honour. Naso95 is an N95 grade nasal filter. It sticks to the user’s nasal orifice and prevents bacteria, viral infection and pollen and air pollution. It is at par effective with an N95 grade face mask. A person using Naso95

Dr Navneet Singh

April 2022

is more protected than a generic facemask or a loosely fitted face mask. The product has been tested and certified by national and international labs for its safety and efficiency. The product comes in different sizes i.e. Small, Medium, Large and Kids size.

Thermo Fisher Scientific unveils genetic analyser Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced its latest generation of SeqStudio Flex Series Genetic Analyzer to enable customers’ cutting-edge research in areas such as gene editing and infectious disease. Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), which enables Sanger sequencing and fragment analysis is an important tool for improving clinical research and advancing scientific discovery. The SeqStudio Flex Genetic Analyzer delivers the gold-standard quality of CE technology with accurate data and reliable performance.

Genetic analyser

Sun Pharma to introduce its version of Vortioxetine in India Sun Pharmaceutical Industries announced that one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries has entered into an exclusive patent licensing agreement with H Lundbeck to market and distribute its version of Vortioxetine in India under the brand name, VORTIDIFTM. The territory of the licensing agreement will only cover India. Vortioxetine is a novel antidepressant with multimodal activity, which is approved to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adults. The product is approved in over 80 countries, including the US, EU, Canada and Australia. DFU clinic team

Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central introduces treatment for diabetic foot ulcer Wockhardt Hospitals has launched a Diabetic Foot Ulcer clinic (DFU) to reduce the chances of foot amputation due to diabetes by using Growth Factor Concentrate Therapy (GFC). This is a pathbreaking therapy where growth factors derived from the patient’s platelets are further purified and used as an acellular growth factor giving consistent quality and quantity.

PureSoftware opens 5G innovation lab in Noida PureSoftware

announced

the

opening

of prostate cancer patients. The medicine was previously available in 40mg and 80mg strength for which patients had to consume two capsules a day as per the approved dosage is primarily used to treat prostate cancer patients. The objective behind the launch of Enzalutamide 160 mg is to ensure better efficacy, minimum side effects, contain relapse cases by blocking the hormones of cancer cells providing an evolved treatment.

Medvarsity partners with Clove Dental to launch Fellowship in Endodontics Medvarsity, the leading healthcare ed-tech brand and Clove Dental have partnered to launch a Fellowship course in Endodontics. The six months fellowship programme includes a three-month contact programme with Clove Dental across all major Indian cities. This allows the students to apply their knowledge in a real-world clinical setting.

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of its new 5G innovation lab in Noida. The innovation lab will streamline 5G IP stack development, solution testing and performance validation. Through this lab, PureSoftware aims to provide customised industry-specific 5GNR RU and Integrated Small Cell solutions for use cases in connected healthcare, retail, autonomous mobility, smart communities, education, and other industries.

BDR Pharma launches prostate cancer drug Enzalutamide 160 mg BDR Pharmaceuticals has launched BDENZA in 160mg strength aiding the convenience

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Approach

Future of TB Diagnostics is WSG Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) is the need of the hour Team IMT

Today, TB is still one of the most infectious killers, causing more deaths than malaria or AIDS. According to WHO estimates, a total of 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020, making it the 13th leading cause of death worldwide and

the

second

leading

infectious

killer only after COVID-19. Further, India accounts for around 26 per cent of the total TB cases across the world. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the

scenario.

Covid

restrictions

prevented TB patients from seeking treatment. In addition, many cases remained undiagnosed. WHO states, 4.1 million people currently suffer from TB but have not been diagnosed with the disease or have not officially reported it to national authorities; increasing 1.5 times from 2.9 million in 2019. 16

April 2022

Highest unreported TB in India In 2020, a total of 18.12 lakh cases of tuberculosis were notified, which was 25 per cent less than the total 24 lakh cases notified in 2019, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said. One of the main reasons for the decreased number of TB cases was the disruption in access to TB services and a reduction in resources and people struggling to seek care in the context of lockdowns, a HaystackAnalytics report said. Not only can this have a detrimental impact on the economy, but the situation can also aggravate considerably, if not addressed in due time. The high incidence rate within the productive age group which contributes the most

of an organisms’ DNA cost-effectively through a single comprehensive test by enabling an ‘all-in-one’ approach that

provides

and on

epidemiological

comprehensive the

diagnostic

data

information

background

and

expected sensitivity of the strains. It is less expansive to run a WGS than a

culture

test

currently

available.

Scaled platforms of WGS are already significantly less cost-intensive than the culture DST HaystackAnalytics report said. The report also pointed out that by utilising the WGS platform labs can be optimally utilised. These platforms provide unprecedented asset utilisation, wherein each installation can perform more than 600,000 tests per year. Tentatively, 10 such installations can cover the testing of the entire caseload in the country, HaystackAnalytics report said. The report further states that in the battle for accurate diagnostics, Universal DST has been declared a key process of India’s National TB Elimination Program. However, it is evident that in the to their families and GDP financially

available, these tests fail to detect

current system culture DST, which is not

points to a major loss in income and

higher grade strains such as XDR TB,

only extremely resource-intensive and

productivity. “A staggering 65 per cent

highlighting

a highly hazardous process involving

of the tuberculosis cases in India are in

efficacy and treatment options.

the 15-45 age group, which is the most economically

productive

population

segment,” Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister said.

concerns

about

their

multiple

With high mortality rates, negative impact on the economy and loss of productivity, it is imperative to start working towards solving the problem

cultures

highly

drug-

resistant isolates, is not going to scale. And till we have a scale solution, India will not be able to achieve the target of being TB free by 2025

High incidence of MDR TB in India

at the core. Accurate diagnosis at an

Expanding the scope for WGS Testing in

While the world is effectively treating

affordable cost is paramount in the fight

India

drug-susceptible

against TB.

While the use of WGS for the treatment

Why Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)

of tuberculosis has been deployed in

is the need of the hour

countries such as the UK, Spain and Italy,

community

forms

transmission

TB, of

the drug-

resistant forms of TB can snowball into a difficult to treat the epidemic.

India has recently called out at a policy

The WHO estimates that globally only

Given the situation, it is imperative

level to use WGS for the diagnosis of

two of every three patients with MDR

solving

tuberculosis cases. HaystackAnalytics

TB are diagnosed, three in every four

the problem at the core to ensure

has partnered with various diagnostic

of the diagnosed are treated, and

accurate

and

centres such as Thyrocare, Metropolis,

only one of every two of the treated

scalable treatment options for patients.

Unipath, Anderson, Sterling Accuris,

patients are cured, resulting in 75 per

Whole

Apollo Hospitals and over 20+ hospitals

cent of the incident cases persisting

can emerge as the revolutionary one-

including

in the community, leading to active

stop solution for the diagnosis and

Sequencing based game-changing TB

transmissions and death. Though a

treatment of tuberculosis in India. This

test which is being used for accurate

battery of common MDR TB tests is

technique can determine the entirety

diagnosis of tuberculosis in India.

start

working and

towards

timely

Genome

diagnosis

Sequencing

(WGS)

AIIMS,

introduce

their

www.indiamedtoday.com

Cover Story

Environment and Health

April 2022

nvironmental effects on health are a hot topic of discussion among the political and medical

communities around the world. Every 14 seconds a person dies from air pollution in the Western Pacific, and over 90 per cent of people breathe unhealthy levels of outdoor air pollution, largely

focus was on climate change and its effect on life. The environmental factors affect health in several ways both in severity and clinical significance. For example, the effects of environmental degradation on human health can range from death

resulting from the burning of the same

caused by cancer due to air pollution to

fossil fuels that are driving climate

psychological problems resulting from

change.

noise.

Amid the global pandemic, a polluted

In India, the clinical significance of

planet, increasing rates of diseases like

environmental detriments is related

cancer, asthma and heart disease, on

more to the exposure to air pollutants

World Health Day this year, WHO will

(particularly

focus global attention on the urgent

chemicals in the environment. Burning

actions needed to keep humans and the

of stubble and industry pollutants are

planet healthy and foster a movement

major causes of air quality problems

to create societies focused on well-

and are on the increase, with serious

being. This World Health Day 2022, the

repercussions for human health.

North

India)

and

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Cover Story

Sources of environmental pollution There can be various sources of exposure to chemicals, which can reach the environment through emissions from industries, anti-fouling paints on marine vessels, agricultural pesticides, waste incineration and leakage from waste disposal sites etc. While emissions of chemicals can be reduced, they can have a long term impact on the environment after the emission has stopped. Feed additives and medication for livestock are some of the other sources of chemicals which can cause harm to humans. Residues in the form of chemicals that remain in fruit, grains, vegetables, meat and dairy products also impact humans. As mentioned earlier, unsafe livestock feeding practices make toxins reach the food chain unintentionally. Dioxins contaminating the poultry feed can reach the food chain of humans once they consume the contaminated meat. Reference can be made to the mad cow disease in livestock which has been linked to a new form of CreuzfeldtJacobs disease in consumers. The effects can be dangerous and can

April 2022

lead to serious allergies and also cancer. Although one cannot find a direct link between

exposure

and

disease,

some cases a direct causal relationship can be found. In some cases, low levels of urban air pollutants in the long term can cause asthma, allergies, respiratory diseases and cardiovascular

“With the growing industrialisation and lack of proper laws regulating chemical waste disposal, we stand the risk for exposure to chemical toxins.

diseases. Heavy metals may lead to neurological

disorders

and

various

cancers and sometimes birth defects and reproductive disorders. Noise is another form of pollution that can impact human health, leading to decreasing quality of life and in some cases depression. It may be noted that ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are used in cooling systems and spray cans. Ozone layer depletion has led to increased exposure to UV radiation and a greater risk of skin cancer.

Action taken During the ‘90s, the huge worldwide toll of CVD was attributed primarily to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of medical care, smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. Similarly in India, demographic and health transitions, gene-environmental interactions and early life influences

Dr Harsh Dhar Consultant Head Neck and Skull Base Surgeon, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata

of fetal malnutrition were enumerated as the likely causes of increased CVD burden, failing to recognise the additional harmful effects of rising pollution levels in urban India.

“Strategies available for pesticide reduction include agronomic practice, resistant crops, natural pesticides, integrated pest management, agroecology, organic farming etc.”

Dr Shivakumar Kandaswamy, Consultant Pulmonologist, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital

Although the rapidly expanding evidence appears to be carrying the newly recognised field of environmental cardiology into ever-widening areas of influence, research in the area remains in its infancy. Yet there has been much growth in the west in the last few years. One group that is beginning to embrace environmental cardiology is the American Heart Association (AHA), an 80-year-old organisation that has traditionally focussed on risk factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise as some of the most important contributors to CVD. In the 1 June 2004 issue of Circulation, an expert panel of 11 researchers and physicians published an AHA Scientific Statement that concluded that air pollutants, one of the major environmental exposure sources under investigation by environmental cardiologists, pose a "serious public health problem" for CVD. This is the first official AHA acknowledgement of such links. A few other US government agencies, such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), have also begun to address the links between

environmental agents and CVD, as have advocacy organisations such as the American Lung Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council. And the NIEHS, one of the original players in the environmental cardiology arena, has ramped up its efforts to explore this area of research. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are safe when it comes to direct exposure to chemicals or air pollutants. Although OECD countries have taken steps to decrease the production of ODS, exposure levels to UV radiation are still above acceptable levels in many regions of the world.

What experts say According to a report by WHO more than seven million people across the world lose their lives due to diseases linked with PM2.5 pollution. India, being a rapidly developing country with an increasing population is suffering from severe air pollution; among the world's 10 most polluted cities, nine of them lie in India. The increasing air pollution in most of the Indian megacities over the last few decades and its consequential human health impacts (such as asthma and cardio-respiratory illness) has drawn prominent attention in recent years.

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Cover Story

Climate change and air pollution have been a matter of serious concern in India in the last few decades. The expanding urban areas with extreme climate events like high rainfall, extreme temperature, floods, and droughts are posing human health risks. The intensified heatwaves because of climate change have led to the elevation in temperature levels causing thermal discomfort and several health issues to urban residents. Says Dr Harsh Dhar, Consultant Head Neck and Skull Base Surgeon, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata, “With the growing industrialisation and lack of proper laws regulating chemical waste disposal, we stand the risk for exposure to

chemical

toxins.

the

most

devastating elements of this pollution is that plastics take thousands of years to decay. Besides, these pollutants cause an increase in harmful algal blooms that produce toxins that accumulate in seafood. The ingestion of these toxins in humans can further cause cancer, amongst many other harmful diseases. There is definite evidence that the incidence of cancer is rising and a certain proportion of this can be attributed to the rise in environmental

April 2022

toxins.” Environmental pollution by industries especially, air pollution or particle pollution is one of the most important causes of cardiovascular diseases apart from usual culprits such as gender, hypertension, smoking, diabetes and obesity. According to Dr Raghavendrra Chikatoor, Senior Cardiothoracic Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, “Though we do not have Indian studies, indirect evidence could be seen in the increased incidence of heart attacks, strokes etc, in urban population. Anti-fouling paints used in ships contain a large amount of copper which is shown to accumulate in marine life forms and gets passed up in the food chain including fishes. It also contaminates water near the dockyards and high levels of copper can cause damage to solid organs like the liver and kidney. The chronic exposure can lead to cancers of solid organs too.” Dr Kakoli Lahkar, Consultant- Medical Oncology, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore, “The environment we live in has a direct effect on our health. Chemicals like pesticides and emissions from industries cause inflammation

“Being more conscious of pollution and chemical exposure may lead to better health and the prevention of chronic health conditions.”

Dr Kakoli Lahkar, consultant- Medical Oncology, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore

and

oxidative

stress

cardiovascular,

leading

respiratory,

to and

other diseases. Air pollution resulting

measures, and limit the use of unknown chemicals, especially plastics. Dr

respiratory illnesses including cancer.

available

Being more conscious of pollution and

include agronomic practice, resistant

chemical exposure may lead to better

crops,

health and the prevention of chronic

pest management, agroecology, organic

health conditions.”

farming etc.”

How to remain safe Humans

should

take

pollution.

Safe

for

natural

says,

pesticide pesticides,

reduction integrated

Conclusion precautionary

measures to overcome the challenges of

Kandaswamy

“Strategies

from diesel fumes can cause various

practices

should

be adopted to live a pollution-free

There can be many ways we can minimise pollution which is harmful to not only humans but also other

environment. After all that we sow

living beings. Not using pesticides in

today will reap tomorrow.

agricultural activities, using chemical

According to Dhar the only way to be safe from these risks is to eat healthy

feeds for livestock can bring a sea change in human health in the long run

foods, increase immunity, completely

and thus reduce the impact of harmful

avoid processed foods as much as

diseases. How we can control the

possible,

environment today will tell us what we

stay

hydrated,

have

safe

household water storage, better hygiene

will be getting tomorrow.

Many policies and individual choices have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce major health co-benefits. The phase-out of polluting energy systems, for example, or the promotion of public transportation and active movement, could both reduce carbon emissions and cut the burden of household and ambient air pollution, which cause 7 million premature deaths per year.

WHO’s work plan on climate change and health includes: •

Advocacy & Partnerships: to coordinate with partner agencies within the UN system, and ensure that health is properly represented in the climate change agenda, as well as to provide and disseminate information on the threats that climate change presents to human health, and opportunities to promote health while cutting carbon emissions;

•

Monitoring Science and evidence: to coordinate reviews of the scientific evidence on the links between climate change and health; assess the country's preparedness and needs when facing climate change, and to develop a global research agenda;

•

Supporting countries to protect human health from climate change: strengthening national capacities and improving the resilience and adaptive capacity of health systems to deal with the adverse health effects of climate change

•

Building capacity on climate change and human health: to assist countries to build capacity to reduce health vulnerability to climate change, and promote health while reducing carbon emissions.

Source: WHO

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Interview

Adopting Accessibility, Affordability and Availability UnivLabs has set out on a goal to develop cutting-edge, affordable medical equipment for the Indian and global markets to fulfil our mission of care for all. Sunil Singh, Founder and CEO, UnivLabs Technologies, reveals more about how is the company is helping to solve the unmet medical devices, in interaction with M Neelam Kachhap

What inspired you to establish UnivLabs

developed economies. This can help

and how the company is solving the

improve infrastructure in both emerging

unmet medical devices needs globally?

and well-developed economies bringing

I used to work for a multinational

Sunil Singh, Founder and CEO, UnivLabs Technologies

medical equipment firm and had the

India

opportunity to visit a few hospitals

imports I realised that by working for

during my time there. During one of

global corporations I am personally

these visits, I noticed overcrowded

enriched but not able to make a larger

and

impact on society at large and the

suboptimal

infrastructure

major public run hospital. One of the primary reasons for this deficiency is

heavily

dependent

healthcare field in general. With

originate in developed economies which

was founded, and we set out on a goal

have high input costs, thus remaining

costly limiting the widespread and

medical equipment for the Indian and

sufficient

emerging

global markets to fulfil our mission

markets. This stirred a thought that

of care for all. Our current focus is on

India has sufficient intellectual as well

surgical endo-Vision systems, novel

as ecosystem capability to indigenously

urology

develop and manufacture routine as

wearable pharma infusion pumps.

adaptation

have already proven our capability in the IT, auto, space, vaccines and Pharma sectors to name a few.

the

above

develop

insights,

cutting-edge,

surgical

UnivLabs affordable

consumables

and

What was the rationale behind your move towards a career in medical devices?

proven

The healthcare sector in India is starved

benchmarks in technology and quality

of companies making medical devices

while the Internet has made knowledge

and we mainly rely on imports. UnivLabs

open. A product developed in emerging

Technologies

economies entails lower input cost

concept of making medical equipment

without

quality

thus

in our own country at a reasonable

keeping

medical

affordable

cost to make India self-sufficient and

Global

firms

have

set

compromise devices

compared to the ones originating in

April 2022

being

because the majority of medical devices

well as high-end medical equipment. We

qualitative benefit to everyone.

was

founded

establish a trade balance.

the

Interview

The

import

high-tech

medical

multispecialty

surgeries

have

been

equipment results in the higher cost

performed, with an overall surgeon

of healthcare delivery restricting the

satisfaction rating of 4.3/5 for the

transfer of benefits of technology to

product compared to the best in the

every Indian. This insight resulted in the

world.

formation of UnivLabs Technologies, the vision of which is to provide worldclass novel medical devices for India and the world. UnivLabs

evolved

adopting

accessibility, availability.

been the market leader in laparoscopic tower subcomponents such as light sources, saline pumps, and insufflators,

has

philosophy

For more than three years, UnivLabs has

with 3

A's

affordability, Both

developed

the

with over 2000 installations in India,

i.e.

the Middle East, and Africa.

and and

emerging markets can benefit from our products. UnivLabs has established the foundation for being a long-term viable Indian medical device player. How Univlabs’ 4K laparoscopy tower and laparoscopy towers are functioning in the operating rooms in India?

What

the

current

scenario

healthcare innovations in India? What kind of change are you bringing to the Indian healthcare ecosystem? The quite

Indian

healthcare and

healthcare

vibrant

which

providers,

pharmaceuticals.

sector

includes hospitals Unfortunate

innovations in medical devices lag

Laparoscopy

compared to global benchmarks and we

Envision System has been validated in

as a country need to do a lot to catch up.

India's leading tertiary care hospitals,

The Indian government is supporting

including Medanta-The Medicity, Fortis,

these healthcare breakthroughs through

MAX, Manipal, and others. Over 113

several initiatives with programmes

The

UnivLabs

April 2022

like Biotechnology Industry Research

institutes

Assistance

startup culture and an innovation-led

Pradesh

Council

MedTech

(BIRAC), Zone

Andhra

and

many

others.

across

India

promote

ecosystem at medical institutes? We are confident that the ICMR/DHR

Pandemic

has

also

galvanised

the

approach

would

foster

biomedical

private sector still given the scale and

innovation

regulations of the healthcare industry

medical colleges and institutes.

the outcome will take time to become visible.

and

entrepreneurship

Under this approach, innovators can serve

non-executive

directors,

UnivLabs is innovating in the field of

scientific advisors, or consultants. They

surgical endo-vision and urology and

can work on inter-institutional and

we aim to make Indians independent

industrial projects and consultancies

in these fields. We are making these technologies

affordable

for

widespread adaptation of minimally invasive surgeries.

alone

through

businesses.

They

may be able to sell technologies to enterprises,

resulting

financial

gain, commercialisation, and societal

How will the new policy framed by

benefits.

the ICMR/DHR policy on Biomedical

The policy allows for sabbaticals for

Innovation

for

translational corporate work. Innovators

medical

can outsource sponsored research and

medical

Entrepreneurship

professionals

They

may

licensor.

consulting contracts. What's your plan and vision? UnivLabs is ideally positioned to develop and market at least ten innovative products with a high impact on health care delivery during the next ten years. The company's objective is to become a medical device industry leader based on significant research. In the next ten years, UnivLabs intends to be among the top 10 medical devices companies in the world. To provide expanded healthcare coverage the entire medical device industry's dynamics must evolve. The existing medical device sector must collaborate to bring in the efficiency and scale of vehicle production to make devices more affordable. We wish to provide a wide spectrum of medical devices that are both common and groundbreaking. UnivLabs aspires to create a Tesla-style mega factory for medical devices wherein technology will evolve, expand, and be manufactured all under one roof to achieve the highest goal of cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

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Interview

There is No Shortage of Opportunities for Digital Health Tech Solutions in India India’s telemedicine market is expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025, spurred by a rise in teleconsultations, telepathology, teleradiology and e-pharmacy due to the pandemic. Sanjay Bapna, Chief Commercial Officer, MyHealthcare Technologies, reveals more in interaction with M Neelam Kachhap about the future of the market

Last year, and during the pandemic, many people accessed telehealth visits for the first time. What else has changed for telehealth in India? The last two years of the pandemic have proved to be a defining time for the healthcare sector. The importance of technology, more specifically the use of digital technology in the healthcare sector was brought to the forefront. With lockdowns enforced, OPDs and hospital services closed – the use of digital solutions such as virtual consults, became

and

telemedicine

game-changers

services

across

the

healthcare sector. While both patients and doctors struggled at the beginning, both gradually learned and adopted the channel as one of the primary mediums of care delivery. Hospitals and doctors who at first hesitated using telemedicine for a multitude of reasons soon realised its advantages and built services around it. India’s telemedicine market is expected to

reach

$5.5

billion

2025,

spurred by a rise in teleconsultations, telepathology,

teleradiology

and

e-pharmacy due to the pandemic, this 28

April 2022

diagnosis and treatment where we are now seeing telehealth grow in areas such as dentistry and dermatology as well. How can hospitals use telehealth to address patients they care for regularly, cancer patients, heart failure patients, hypertension patients, and those that require frequent interaction with the healthcare system? During

these

unprecedented

times

while the world was reeling from the backlash of the pandemic and hospitals and other medical institutions were overcrowded and inaccessible to at-risk patients with comorbidities or those in need of chronic care, telehealth played a huge role in bridging the gap for their care delivery. To

address

who

the

need

needs

patients

uninterrupted

care,

teleconsultations at regular intervals has resulted in significant growth in the

came as a saving grace for doctors to

number of telemedicine platforms in

keep a track of the treatment plan and

India specifically health tech startups

manage the care continuum. Health tech

like ours who are using technology

companies such as ours that focus on

at their core to bridge the healthcare

a holistic patient care ecosystem, have

delivery gap.

provided both doctors and patients with

Also,

the

interest

and

excitement

around telehealth have shifted into

high-end video call facilities to ease the exchange of communication and also helped with an extended availability of

areas that historically people didn’t

doctors' appointment slots throughout

think about. What are your thoughts?

the day.

The

healthcare

significant

sector

increase

witnessed demand

Remote

monitoring

systems

that

for

function in tandem with telehealth

virtual consultations, homecare/home

systems have assisted in accessing

isolation services during the second

patient vitals and maintaining patients’

wave, under national lockdowns with

historical records via necessary device

OPDs, etc being significantly hampered.

integrations.

Doctors were doing virtual consults till

speciality

midnight, seven days a week, to keep

long-term care protocols have been

up with the patient load. It is incredible

implemented and this has revolutionised

how they managed to stay afloat during

the process of care delivery through

those times.

the advancements in telemedicine and

The last couple of years has helped us

For care

chronic

patients,

programmes

with

telehealth.

understand doctors as well as patients

Along with telehealth, the focus of

and the nuances of their relationship

startups like ours has been to bring the

much

helped

latest digital technology advancements

digital health tech platforms to push

into the ecosystem to ensure that

technological innovations for better

we can provide functional and user-

better.

has

also

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friendly solutions to our doctors and

of those patients and not lose connection

healthcare partners.

with them. And the care continuum can

What is needed for telemedicine to grow in the future, such as reimbursement from insurance companies?

be maintained by using Telehealth. More and more hospitals should adopt digital technologies for managing patients who come from far off places. And is it not

For any hospital in India, before the

just video consultation, maybe they

pandemic

could be given a device to rent or ask

for many many years, a large chunk

them to buy that device to manage their

of patients come from outside of the

health locally, the cost of which would

during

the

town that the hospital is in and this percentage would usually be more than 50 per cent and the patients come from

be the same as the patient travelling to the hospital five times.

as far as 100-150 kilometres. While

Have you gotten any indication of what

they do come to the hospital when they

will be the government’s approach to

have to get admitted but follow up care

telehealth? What policy changes are

post-hospital stay is severely hampered

you watching for?

because they can’t be coming back to the hospital for follow up visits.

The government should expand the scope

telehealth

purely

Tele consultations platforms, telehealth

accessibility tool because telehealth

platforms

monitoring

today is a wide spectrum of activities.

solutions are good solutions to take care

It is not just teleconsultation, it is much

April 2022

and

remote

beyond that. You can use IoT devices

involved in the process of care delivery.

that are available at the patient’s place

This would help relieve a whole lot of

and as more and more IoT devices are

financial burden on us, allowing us to

used by patients that need continuous

deliver quality and more affordable

care management, the cost of devices

healthcare to our patients across the

will also come down. Today those

country. This would be more than

devices are bought by very few people

welcome at a time when our country

but as digital technology expands, as the

is going through the third wave of the

usage of telehealth services expands the

pandemic.

cost of the device will also come down and you will have more comprehensive remotely managed patients than ever before. As

today,

medical

practitioners,

clinicians and clinical establishments such as hospitals, clinics and labs are exempted

from

GST.

Start-ups

and

health tech companies, that are working towards using technology in making healthcare delivery available to a wider population continue to come under the purview of GST. This burden increases the cost of healthcare for our patients across India.

There have been a lot of concerns about the quality of care in telehealth, what are your thoughts on the same? I

think

quite

the

contrary.

Telemedicine has evolved from mere doctor

consultation

healthcare

delivery

to for

complete both

acute

and chronic care at home. Digital technology is also helping providers and clinicians in making healthcare delivery more personalised, as they are beginning to derive more meaningful and effective patient clinical data. All of this will contribute immensely toward hospitals, clinics and doctors offering

In the coming years, we would hope

effective

and request the government to remove

improving patient engagement. Good

GST on healthcare service providers

usage of teleconsultation and physical

and digital health companies directly

consultation blended is the ultimate

patient-centric

care

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goal. One of the ways to assuage these concerns that we as a health tech company have made a part of our implementation process is to handhold our users during the initial days of adoption. What is your view of the ecosystem for telemedicine in India? What do you think of telehealth companies going public? It is no secret that digitisation and adoption of digital technology solutions have been laggard in India. However, COVID-19 along with rapid growth of internet penetration, improvement in data bandwidth speed, reduced cost of digital hardware and improvements in cloud technology have brought about a significant change in the healthcare sector which would need to be backed by adequate financial resources from the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) to enable the digital change. Providers have embraced telemedicine in a big way over the past 18 months and all signs show that this sector alone will grow to $30 billion by 2026. With a huge headroom for growth, there is no shortage of opportunities for digital

April 2022

healthcare technology solutions in our country. Telemedicine has expanded from mere doctor consultation to complete healthcare delivery for both acute and chronic care at home. Digital technology is also helping providers and clinicians in making healthcare delivery more personalised, as we are beginning to generate more meaningful and effective clinical data of their patients. All of this will contribute greatly to hospitals, clinics and doctors offering more patient-centric care and improving patient engagement. The increased adoption of digital technology by care providers will improve the access to quality healthcare and make it available to a wider population. Data suggests that a majority population of our country does not have proximal access to quality primary care. Health tech startups like ours partnering with leading hospitals and clinics in creating scalable healthcare ecosystems will be a key driver in democratising healthcare in India. This being said, there is a good chance of telehealth companies growing steadily and going public eventually.

Research

End of Life Care How providers help patients shift expectations to make tough medical decisions By Iowa State University

When confronting the end of life,

the

patients and their loved ones must make

treatments.

difficult

decisions

about

continuing

curative treatments or switch to pain management and comfort care.

likely

outcomes

continuing

The researchers found this approach led patients to comply with the providers’ suggestions for palliative care 73 per

A newly published study explores how

cent of the time. The compliance rate

specialised

was 43 per cent when providers did not

care

providers

navigate

these conversations and help patients optimise

their

quality

life

use this style of communication.

and

mitigate suffering. Using six months

“These efforts are not aimed at changing

of observational data from a hospital

the patients' emotions; they're aimed

in a Midwestern town, the researchers

at changing their expectations,” said

found many of the providers did not

Clayton Thomas, Assistant Professor

dismiss their patients’ emotions or tell

patients to feel differently. Rather, they

Entrepreneurship, Iowa State University

validated their patients’ fear, hope or

and co-author of the paper published in

guilt, and then walked them through

Organization Studies.

Teaching,

Management

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and

Research

Another

example

curative

care

that could lead to additional health complications

includes

intubation,

which creates an artificial airway for patients who cannot breathe on their own. While this procedure can be lifesaving, it also increases the risk of developing pneumonia. In the study, the researchers highlighted a conversation between a doctor and the family of a patient with meningitis who was afraid of dying in a nursing home. The doctor expressed concern that using intubation would cause pneumonia and prevent the patient from fulfilling her wish of living out the rest of her life at home. The researchers observed this cognitive reframing with another emotion: hope. “A terminally ill patient may have hope for a cure. A provider may say, ‘Yes, you should have hope, but you should have hope for comfort and relief,’” Thomas explained. In the paper, Thomas and his coauthor Shibashis Mukherjee, Assistant Professor

Management

and

Organisation, Ahmedabad University in India, included a conversation between an elderly patient and a member of the care team to highlight what they coined

about “letting go” to guilt about being a burden to their families during this process of shifting expectations and reevaluation of quality of life. The researchers shared their study’s

The patient faced a decision on whether

findings illustrate a novel way health

to sign a “Do Not Resuscitate” order if

care providers in the US interact with

the patient’s heart stopped pumping.

patients and their families.

After

“There’s this understanding that, in

the

care

provider

explained

would likely break the patient’s ribs, causing a slow and painful recovery during the patient’s final days of life, the patient chose to sign the “Do Not Resuscitate” order.

terms of professional authority, titles and education and status don’t cut it anymore. The idea of ‘Doctor’s orders’ doesn’t carry the same weight as it used to, so providers have to use extra strategies to communicate their expert

“People often think they should fear

recommendations to patients,” Thomas

death.

explained.

They

may

not

realize

that

they should fear the cure, that the

April 2022

patients switched from feeling guilty

'feeling rule management.'

cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

As for guilt, the researchers said many

treatment to prolong life could cause

Thomas and Mukherjee are planning a

more suffering or lead to other health

follow-up study that would compare

problems during a patient’s final days,”

'feeling rule management' in the US and

said Thomas.

India.

Insight

A Not so Good Idea to Study on Foreign Shores Indian medical students are at a loss in foreign countries when some crisis happens and it takes a toll on their medical education. Despite a good number of institutes in the country, students should think twice before venturing into those countries

Dr Naresh Shetty, President – Healthcare Vertical, Quess Corp

April 2022

Against the backdrop of the Russia Ukraine war, several Indian students studying in Ukraine were stuck and had to come back to India. A majority of the students were in a dilemma as to how to complete their course as the study pattern is different from what is taught in Ukraine and India.

Why are students venturing into those

Students studying in China, Russia, Ukraine and other countries are not adequately trained and hence would require both theories as well as clinical skill training. There is a huge gap in training and the results are good indicators. However, an effort must be made to give them a six months internship training in our setup and then only allow them to appear for an exam. This will enable them to be more relevant to the needs of the community.

with approximately 1.5 million students

countries? It may be noted that despite the quality of

education

being

poor

those

countries, students still flock to these countries. For those looking to study medicine, there are also limited seats available in Indian medical institutions, taking their NEET exams hoping to obtain

one

the

around

65,000

medical seats available every year. For this reason, around 300,000 Indian students currently study abroad, with an estimated 10,000 leaving India every year to study medicine. Some of the students get admitted to well-respected and globally recognised universities abroad while most apply

The appeal of choosing medicine as a career is a strong one. A career in medicine empowers you to help people, to be respected by others and gain a feeling of job satisfaction that is impossible to find in any other profession. The financial rewards may not be great but the opportunities for career advancement are vast and varied. However, a bulk of the students that leave our shores have not been able to get through the NEET exams and take any opportunity available. There are agents for all these universities who paint a rosy picture to the students and their parents. Most of them do not even realise that passing the FMGE exams is mandatory and not easy. By and large, most of the universities in China and Russia where these students tend to go, do not have an education comparable to India or the western world. Advice With many states opening new medical and

get

admitted

unrecognised

colleges in every district there would

institutions. However, the ideal scenario

be more opportunities in this country

for many would be to remain in India

and a lot more Allied Sciences courses.

for as long as possible and study for a medical degree that is recognized and highly respected internationally, especially in countries where healthcare is well-advanced, innovative, and wellfunded, like the US. Mentioning

the

It is time that students should embrace them rather than only MBBS seats. The need for Para Medical staff is huge and increasing every year. With the advent of technology, we need perhaps fewer doctors but more technologists who will

Foreign

Medical

Graduate Examination (FMGE), there are quite a few quick-fix private set ups that train these students to pass the exams. It is a lot like tuition classes

assist the Healthcare workers to serve better and safer. The pandemic has seen thousands of students have to return from China

which have mushroomed all across and

and are stuck without much hope. The

who train them not on any practical

Ukraine war saw another huge number

skills but by making them go through

returning to India. The clamour of

earlier question papers. Passing FMGE

taking them into our system is fraught

does not mean they have enough skill.

with a lot of risks since most of them

AHPI along with a few hospitals wanted

are not NEET qualified and very soon

to start an internship programme for

will become a legal issue for many who

these students so that they are better

could not afford to go to other countries

skilled but the pandemic put that on the

but are still deprived of staying within

backburner.

the country.

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Study

UK Baby Undergoes World’s First Combination Heart Transplant-Thymus Procedure The baby, who underwent the procedure at Duke University Hospital, appears to have gained the immune cells necessary to reduce or eliminate the need for prolonged use of toxic anti-rejection drugs

transplant recipients would not reject the donated organ and they would also not need to undergo treatment with

long-term

immune-suppression

medications, which can be highly toxic, particularly to the kidneys." The

idea

using

donated

and

processed thymus tissue during heart transplantation has been under study at Duke and other sites for several years. Because the thymus gland stimulates the

development

T-cells,

which

fight foreign substances in the body, implanting the processed tissue is hoped to establish the donor’s immune system as the recipient’s, so the donated heart is recognized as “self.” The approach has shown promise in A baby

named

Easton,

born

with

severe heart defects as well as thymic deficiency from an unknown cause, has received a combination heart transplant and

allogeneic

processed

thymus

the FDA, represent a milestone in heart transplantation.

lab at Duke, but it had previously not been tried in a living organ recipient.

“This has the potential to change the face of solid organ transplantation in the future,” said Joseph W Turek, Chief

tissue implantation at Duke University

of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Duke

Hospital. The baby appears to be gaining

University Hospital, and a member of

the immune cells necessary to reduce or

the surgical team that performed the

eliminate the need for prolonged use of

landmark procedure.

toxic anti-rejection drugs.

animal experiments, including in Turek’s

Tests taken 172 days post-transplant/ implantation indicate the processed thymus tissue is functioning, building the critical T-cells that are integral to a

well-functioning

immune

system.

Easton’s care team at Duke continues to monitor progress; another milestone

Turek added, “If this approach proves

is possible in several months when

The two procedures, under an expanded

successful – and further validation

he could be tapered off anti-rejection

access application that was cleared by

drugs.

April 2022

contemplated

–

would

mean

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