IndiaMedToday March 2022 by IndiaMedToday

MARCH 2022, VOLUME 6 ISSUE 03 `200 INDIA MED TODAY

Is Gender Gap Undermining Healthcare Businesses

MARCH 2022

INTERVIEW Women leaders tend to utilise a more democratic form of leadership

OPINION Emotional intelligence - A training tool in hospitals

SPECIAL FEATURE Why is Omicron a 'Variant of Concern'?

Edit Note

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From struggle to success

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

The March issue focuses on women playing a leadership role in the

BOARD OF ADVISORS

health sector. Though much has been talked about in the past of women being promoted to a higher level and holding the topmost position as their male counterparts, in reality, it is not so. Climbing up the ladder to hold leadership positions is a tough task for many women as one has to face innumerable hurdles.

Dr Alexander Thomas Dr Girdhar Gyani Dr Prem Kumar Nair Dr Bhabatosh Biswas Dr Alok Roy Ramesh Kannan

CONSULTING EDITOR Dr Libert Anil Gomes Dr Salil Choudhary

The cover story of this month has leaders talking about the current

Venkatesh Ganesh

scenario for women leaders, the challenges faced and the way

ART & PRODUCTION

forward. Most importantly, companies need to make women-friendly policies.

ScreeTract | Shylesh

Experts like Dr Alok Roy, Member, FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group ADVERTISING Gunjan Chauhan gunjanc@indiamedtoday.com The Media Ant help@themediaant.com DIGITAL MARKETING Vivek Nair Sales & Strategic Partnership Snehal Vajpayee snehal@indiamedtoday.com

of Hospital; Rama Venugopal, Executive Director, Value Added Corporate Services; Ishiqa Multani, President, Sagar Group of Hospitals; Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO, Wadia Hospitals; Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics; Dr (Maj) Harshita Surange, Founder & CEO, DESH Clinics; Dr Beena KV, Additional Medical Superintendent, Amrita Hospital, Kochi and Dr Devlina Chakravarty, MD, Artemis Hospitals talking about women empowerment and how women leaders in the health sector can sustain themselves in the long run. We hope that women leaders receive their due from society. You could also write to us and let us know your views. Send in your letters to editorial@ indiamedtoday.

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IndiaMedToday expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in this publication. While we try to keep the information timely and accurate, we make no guarantees. The views and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IndiaMedToday or the publication. Information on IndiaMedToday should not be used as a substitute for professional healthcare advice. Readers are advised to always seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication. Never disregard professional medicaladvice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on IndiaMedToday. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. Printed and published by M Neelam Kachhap, 301, Grazia, 1st main, 2nd Cross, Lingrajpuram, Bangalore 560084 on behalf of Neelam Publishing (OPC) Private Limited, Printed at Paradise Graphics, B-15, Mittal Tower, MG Road, Bangalore-1. and published at 301, Grazia, 1st main, 2nd Cross, Lingrajpuram, Bangalore 560084.

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March 2022

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CONTENTS

Facebook

INSIGHT

OPINION

SPECIAL FEATURE

EdTech and how it's influencing the current environment

Emotional intelligence - A training tool in hospitals

Why is Omicron a 'Variant of Concern'?

23 COVER STORY

Is Gender Gap Undermining Healthcare Businesses 4

March 2022

UPFRONT

03 Editorial 05 Letters 06 News Roundup 33 Study 35 Interview 37 Event Report www.indiamedtoday.com

CHECKIT OUT ONLINE

Letters

besity has a strong correlation with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and in obese people due to increased fat deposition in the throat, the upper airway narrowing shall occur along with decreased muscle activity which leads to multiple hypoxic and apneic episodes through the sleep. The decreased oxygenation ultimately is a contributory factor to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In India, the incidence of OSA is about 3-17 per cent, with males affected more than females among an age group of around 30 -50 years. The most common risk factors include obesity, DM2, hypercholesteremia, hypertension, depression. OSA is an important health crisis that demands multi-layered intervention which if diagnosed early can be treated, and can improve the overall health of the individual. Dr Chandramohan, Senior ENT Surgeon, Kamineni Hospitals on the context of the sudden death of Bappi Lahiri cause of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition that requires constant interference in the breathing process during sleep. Breathing in such patients stops for about 10 seconds during sleep and is repeated multiple times. The condition is due to excessive relaxation of muscles that assists in breathing. Excessive relaxation narrows the throat resulting in breathlessness. If not diagnosed and managed early, OSA may result in several complications, including dry eye, glaucoma, high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol levels, and gestational diabetes. The therapies for OSA include positive airway pressure machines and oral devices. Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD & Consultant - Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road People learn best by doing, which is why healthcare is a natural fit for immersive VR training. Findings support the equivalence and superiority of VR training, the time to skill mastery, and the economic savings compared to traditional methods. Our need to train healthcare professionals to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of care effectively and efficiently just keeps growing. Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals The vision of the ACT (After Completion of Therapy) Clinic is to provide continuous care and support to those children who

have completed treatment for various oncology and haematology conditions and help them to lead normal lives. The clinic will help in addressing the problems of survivorship by ensuring regular follow-ups, both clinical as well as emotional. The department will offer psychological consultation, screening and even interventions. The clinic will also assist eligible paediatric cancer survivors with financial support for their late effects treatment. The purpose of the clinic is to handhold survivors as they return back to society and add quality to the life that lies ahead of them. Dr Sunil Bhat, Head of the department of Paediatric haematology, oncology and BMT, Narayana Health City No one company or government can solve the challenges of healthcare alone. We need to harness the power of collaboration. There is a need for increased investment in healthcare by the government including infrastructure, training and education, skill development and creating incentives for MedTech innovation. I believe Asia and particularly India has the potential to be a driving force in the global healthcare transformation that we envision. India has the right mix of IT and R&D expertise; and an innovation mindset that strives to deliver solutions and deploy new technologies. Geoff Martha, Chairman and CEO, Medtronics

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News Roundup

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya along with Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar, releasing the ICMR/DHR policy

Health ministry launches ICMR/ DHR policy on biomedical innovation

reports of the Institute for Competitiveness (part of the global network of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness and affiliated to Harvard Business School).

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare along with Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare launched the ICMR/ DHR Policy on Biomedical Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Medical Professionals, Scientists and Technologists at Medical, Dental, Para-Medical Institutes/ Colleges. As per the policy, the medical professionals/ doctors will be encouraged to pursue entrepreneurial ventures by forming start-up companies, taking an adjunct position in the company- nonexecutive director or scientific advisor. The doctors will also be permitted to undertake inter-institutional and industry projects alone or through companies, license technologies to business entities leading to commercialisation, revenue generation for self-sustenance and societal benefit.

These reports titled ‘COVID-19-India’s Vaccine Development Story’ and ‘India’s COVID–19 Vaccination Administration Journey’ highlight the crucial aspects that have contributed to the success of India’s COVID-19 vaccine development and administration efforts, which includes manufacturing of indigenous vaccines, sturdy and timely procedures and protocols for approvals that ensured the safe administration of vaccinations. The reports have compiled significant crucial information and experiences that can serve as learning for future pandemic management and public health issues.

… releases report on Institute for Competitiveness on COVID-19 vaccine

Pearson and Apollo MedSkills join hands Pearson,

leading

learning

company

announced the partnership with Apollo MedSkills, the educational arm of Apollo Hospitals to develop effective skilling programmes and training solutions for strengthening

the

healthcare

sector

in India and globally. As part of the collaboration, both companies aim to enhance

access

quality

healthcare

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of

education

Health and Family Welfare released two

healthcare workers in the country. The

March 2022

and

upskill

around

15,000

collaboration between Pearson and Apollo will provide the much-needed impetus to the sector and contribute towards creating appropriate skill capacities for healthcare workers. The partnership is initially signed for two years.

CORBEVAX receives DCGI approval for EUA for 1218 years India’s first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19, CORBEVAX, developed by Biological E, has received approval for Emergency Use Authorization from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for 12-18 years age group. It is approved to be administered in humans including children and adults 12 years and above.

Alligator Bioscience appoints Sumeet Ambarkhane MD as CMO Alligator Bioscience has announced the appointment of Sumeet Ambarkhane, as its Chief Medical Officer. In this role, Ambarkhane will provide medical leadership and direction in the development of Alligator's best-in-class preclinical and clinical pipeline, including Alligator's lead assets mitazalimab, a

System business segments supporting AliveCor’s clients and their members with a complete cardiac care management solution. Baran has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare and technology industries, where she has led teams to create and bring to market high-impact offerings and solutions for providers, payors, and patients.

Apeejay Stya Univesity, SERB organise conference on nanomedicine, medical devices Sumeet Ambarkhane CD40 agonist currently in Phase II clinical development, and ATOR-1017, a 4-1BB agonist in Phase I. Ambarkhane is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of drug development experience in academia and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Ambarkhane has a proven track record of advancing investigational medicines including immunotherapybiologics, from early phases of development through regulatory approvals and adoption into clinical practice.

AliveCor appoints Patricia Baran as Senior VP, Healthcare Americas AliveCor announced the appointment of Patricia Baran as Senior Vice President, Healthcare Americas. In this role, Baran will report to Vincent Balsamo, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales. Baran will lead the Employer, Payor, and Health

The 3rd national conference on Nanomedicine and Medical Devices in Healthcare was recently organised by the Apeejay Stya Univesity in support of Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Government of India. The conference witnessed eminent scientists and experts from the field of nanomedicine and medical devices technologies across the country, who put forward their perspectives on various aspects about the industry along with advocating the consolidation of the sector.

Mindray equipment to ensure medical security in 3 hospitals for Beijing winter games Mindray, a leading global provider of medical devices and solutions, has been providing the medical equipment used in three designated medical facilities — Peking University (PKU) Third Hospital, PKU Third Hospital Yanqing Branch and PKU Third Hospital Chongli Branch — for the winter games being held in Beijing during February and March 2022, ensuring a complete chain of worldclass, intelligently connected medical solutions including first aid, diagnosis and monitoring for all athletes.

Lupin appoints Dr Fabrice Egros as President of corporate development

Patricia Baran

Lupin announced changes to its executive team with Dr Fabrice Egros assuming responsibilities for Global Corporate Development as President, Corporate Development and Growth Markets. Dr Egros takes over the Corporate Development

Dr Fabrice Egros role from Alan Butcher departing from the company on February 28, 2022. Dr Egros will lead the development and execution of the company’s inorganic growth strategy, including mergers and acquisitions, business development, in-licensing arrangements, and related matters. He will continue to lead a business in LATAM and Asia regions in this new role.

… bags FDA approval for SOLOSEC Lupin Pharmaceuticals announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the company’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to expand the use of SOLOSEC (secnidazole) in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) for female patients 12 years of age and older and in the treatment of trichomoniasis for all patients 12 years of age and older.

… in distribution agreement with Medis for NaMuscla Lupin has entered into a distribution agreement with Medis for Lupin’s orphan drug NaMuscla (mexiletine). Medis will commercialise NaMuscla for the symptomatic treatment of myotonia in adults with non-dystrophic myotonic (NDM) disorders in Central and Eastern European countries. NaMuscla is the first and only licensed product for this indication. Under the agreement, Medis will initially focus on the commercialisation of NaMuscla in the Central and East European countries, namely Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia in the first phase. Lupin will continue the commercialisation of NaMuscla in Germany, France, and the UK.

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News Roundup

The launch of the new centre in Nanded

Metropolis Healthcare launches diagnostic testing centre in Nanded, Maharashtra

with its partner Viatris. Accordingly, Biocon

Metropolis Healthcare has launched an advanced diagnostic testing centre in Nanded, Maharashtra. The 1400 sq ft laboratory can conduct around 400 sample testing per month with a quick turnaround time and high-quality reports. The new laboratory is located at Shop G1, G2 Aagale Complex, Opposite Kalamandir, Nanded.

billion, including cash up to $2.335 billion

… Metropolis Healthcare opens Asansol centre

Biologics will acquire Viatris’ biosimilars business to create a unique fully integrated global biosimilars enterprise. Viatris will receive consideration of up to $3.335 and Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) in BBL, valued at $1 billion. The Board of Directors of both companies have approved the transaction.

Velocity Clinical Research invests in Indian tech, acquires TrierHealth

Advanced centre for sports medicine opens at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road has launched North Mumbai’s first dedicated sports medicine diagnosis, rehabilitation, and surgery facility as a dedicated centre. Present on the occasion were Soniya Rajage, Freestyle wrestling Champion, Nikhil Sports personality & Instagram star, and other professionals from training institutes and gyms.

a digital clinical trials platform whose

Binnopharm Group to acquire two anti-bacterial brands from Dr Reddy’s in Russia, CIS region

R&D team operates out of Hyderabad,

The Sistema Group company, Binnopharm

to develop patient-focussed technology.

Group, a leading pharmaceutical production

TrierHealth’s founder, Raghu Punnamraju,

company in Russia via its affiliate Joint

will become Velocity’s, Chief Technology

Stock Company ‘Alium’, and Dr Reddy’s

Officer. Velocity Clinical Research operates

Laboratories announced the signing of

30 locations across the US and will expand

a deal that will allow Binnopharm Group

Biocon Biologics to acquire Viatris’ biosimilars assets

to other regions this year, adopting a

to acquire anti-bacterial medicines under

hybrid solution of both brick-and-mortar

the Ciprolet and Levolet brands from

sites plus technology elements to facilitate

Dr Reddy’s in Russia, Uzbekistan and

greater patient recruitment into clinical

Belarus. The portfolio includes various

Biocon Biologics, a subsidiary of Biocon has entered into a definitive agreement

research

dosage forms such as tablets, solutions for

US-based fully integrated clinical site

Metropolis Healthcare has launched an advanced diagnostic testing centre in Asansol, West Bengal. The 900 sq ft laboratory can conduct around 1000 sample testing per month with a quick turnaround time and high-quality reports. The new laboratory is located at West Apcar Garden, GT Road (West), Paschim Bardhaman, Asansol.

organisation Velocity Clinical Research

March 2022

announced its acquisition of TrierHealth,

globally,

development.

speeding

drug

infusions and eye drops.

Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in association with Startup India has launched ‘Ayush Start-up challenge’ to encourage earlystage start-ups and individuals working on innovations in the Ayurveda sector and alternative healing. The winners of ‘Ayush Start-up Challenge’ will receive both a cash prize and incubation support from AIIA. There are three entry categories for participating start-ups – Ayush Food Innovations, Ayush Bio-instrumentation (Hardware solutions) and Ayush IT Solutions (Software solutions). There will be two winners in each of the three categories with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for the winner and Rs 50,000 for the runner-up. Therefore overall, there would be six winners. Apollo Hospitals Group during the tie up with 8 Chili.inc

Apollo Hospitals Group ties up with 8chili Apollo Hospitals Group has announced a unique collaboration with 8chili to enable engagement in the metaverse, in the first-of-its-kind initiative. Virtual reality will provide an immersive experience that has been proven to increase patient engagement and skill mastery for handson training.

… forays into Uzbekistan Apollo Hospitals has forayed into Uzbekistan with the signing of an MoU with Marafon Group for setting up a tertiary care hospital. In line with the mission to promote development in their native country, Marafon Group, is being led by a team of young entrepreneurs who are guided by spirit of change and growth. The Marafon Group already operates over nine medical and diagnostic centres. Now with this partnership with Apollo Hospitals for the tertiary care hospital, it will provide quality healthcare for over 60 million people of Uzbekistan and bordering regions of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Redcliffe Labs appoints Abhay Singavi as Chief Business Officer Redcliffe Labs, also known as Redcliffe Life

Abhay Singavi his role, Abhay Singavi will be responsible to execute the company’s business strategy, driving the overall growth and performance of key business units as a strategy, operations and business transformation lead. Singavi brings with him an extensive experience of around 15 years. He has worked with Narayana Health as CEO leading the preventive health division of the company. Thereafter, Abhay worked as P&L Head in Medanta and Policy Bazaar. Singavi's most recent stint was as CBO at Healthians.

All India Institute of Ayurveda launches ‘Ayush Start-up Challenge’

Diagnostics, has recently appointed Abhay

In line with the Central Government’s

Singavi as Chief Business Officer (CBO). In

initiative to support start-ups, the All India

Crysta IVF opens two centres in Bengaluru Crysta IVF has started service at its two Bengaluru centre. Crysta IVF aims to make quality fertility treatments accessible to couples and individuals across the country. In collaboration with Parency IVF Hospital and Mannat Fertility Centre located in Jayanagar and Marathahalli in Bengaluru respectively, both centres are equipped with world-class treatments to help couples start their families. These two centres host various treatments such as IVF, IUI, embryology, which are effective and affordable. The cost of IVF treatment varies for each fertility case depending on various factors such as Amount of stimulation required, age, freezing of eggs or sperms, usage of advanced fertility treatment such as laser-assisted hatching, ICSI, Tesa etc. Both the centres in Bengaluru are well-equipped with advanced technology to cure different types of infertility problems.

Rahul Guha to join Thyrocare Technologies as MD & CEO API Group-backed Thyrocare Technologies has announced the appointment of Rahul Guha as the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer w.e.f May 16, 2022. A graduate of IIM-B, Rahul Guha joins API Group to head its diagnostics business. Guha has spent almost 17 years at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he has led the Health Care & Life Sciences practice.

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News Roundup Sales Director as its expansion plans in India and other South-East Region. With over 30 years of experience in marketing and sales, Doncecchi has led several sales and marketing positions at global biotechnology companies such as Pfizer, Zoetis, Biomin and Adisseo in animal health and nutrition. Paolo, an Italian national, has completed his university degree in veterinary medicine. He recently became a member of Insight Partners, American venture capital and private equity firm based in New York City that invests in growth-stage technology, software and Internet businesses.

Rahul Guha Before joining BCG, Guha has been the co-founder and CEO of Nautilus Software and the Chief Technology Office (CTO) at ValuePay.com where he was responsible for product development in the US Market. He has extensive project experience in MedTech and HealthTech and has worked closely with multiple startups on their digital incubation. He has been an active contributor to the pharma sector and has over two decades of experience.

Proteon Pharma appoints Paolo Doncecchi as Global Sales Director Proteon Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Proteon Pharmaceuticals Poland, has appointed Paolo Doncecchi as its Global

Paolo Doncecchi

March 2022

Jubilant Ingrevia commissions new facility for diketenes and derivatives Jubilant Ingrevia announced the commissioning of its new Diketene derivatives facility at its manufacturing site in North India at Gajraula, Uttar Pradesh. The newly commissioned facility marks the entry of Jubilant Ingrevia into the fastgrowing Diketene business portfolio. This reiterates Jubilant Ingrevia;s commitment towards growth through its integrated business model, by providing value-added products and innovative solutions to its customers.

in the partial or complete interruption of the heart’s electrical signals, which dangerously disrupts heart rhythm.

Hinduja Global Solutions wins Rs 2,100 Cr contract from the UK Health Security Agency Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) announced that its subsidiary HGS UK has been selected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to provide critical customer support to UK citizens for an initial period of two years, with an option to extend further. The partnership is already underway having launched earlier last week, and the contract could be worth up to £211 million (Rs 2,100 crores) across the term of the contract, employing over 2,000 Work@Home positions across the UK. The UKHSA is responsible for NHS Test & Trace and this contract will assist with future contact tracing needs for COVID-19 and other health security risks such as a large flu outbreak or new pandemic. The advertised cost of the contract is the maximum that can be spent, and the total could be less.

Medtronic bags US FDA approval for Freezor and Freezor Xtra Cardiac Cryoablation catheters Medtronic announced that the Freezor and Freezor Xtra Cardiac Cryoablation Catheters are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are the only ablation catheters approved to treat the growing prevalence of pediatric Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT). The Freezor and Freezor Xtra Catheters are flexible, single-use devices used to freeze cardiac tissue and block unnecessary electrical signals within the heart. The Freezor family enables safe and effective focal cryoablation therapy and has treated more than 140,000 patients across 67 countries. Cryoablation can reduce the risk of permanent AV block, a complication of AVNRT procedures performed with radiofrequency (RF) ablations that results

Dr Vishal Khullar

Cardiologist Dr Vishal Khullar from Mayo Clinic joins Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai

recently

announced

the

appointment of Dr Vishal Khullar as Director of cardiothoracic surgery, heart and lung transplants. After completion of his super-specialisation in cardiac surgery

in India, Dr Khullar honed his skills at world’s topmost medical institutions Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland and Mayo Clinic, Rochester in the US. Dr Khullar has performed and participated in over 7000 general cardiac procedures including bypass surgeries, valve replacement, complex surgeries of the aorta (including Aortic Root Replacement, Ascending Aortic Replacement and Aortic Arch Reconstruction) and Heart and Lung Transplants at these prestigious institutions.

GOQii raises $50 million Series C Funding GOQii announced its Series C funding round of $50 million led by Sumeru Ventures. GOQii is a smart-tech-enabled healthcare platform that brings together the entire preventive healthcare ecosystem to its users. The company has raised funding across equity, preference shares, notes and debt. The equity round was led by Sumeru Ventures. Sumeru Ventures is a global fund with a focus on next-generation technology areas. GOQii would use the funding to grow the insurance and digital therapeutics vertical in India.

Ayu Health Hospitals acquires SwasthyaSewak network of hospitals in Jaipur Ayu Health Hospitals, a network of 40+ hospitals across India has announced its maiden entry into Jaipur, via acquisition, adding a network of 16+ hospitals to its portfolio.

The

Jaipur-based

company

has

acquired

SwasthyaSewak.

Through

this acquisition, Ayu Health will add 1000 beds to provide localised primary and tertiary medical care for citizens of Jaipur. This apart, the Founder of SwasthyaSewak, Yashu Kapoor has joined Ayu Health in the capacity of Head of Growth and will be based out of Delhi NCR. Ayu Health has recently raised its Series-A funding of $6.3 million from Vertex Ventures and Stellaris Venture Partners in September 2021. With the addition of 5,000 plus beds in multiple locations across India, the organization is expected to grow the business by 10 times in FY2022.

Launch of liver transplant centre

Fortis Hospital, Vadapalani launches liver transplant centre

exchanges, Panacea Biotec said that its

The dedicated centre will provide comprehensive and holistic liver care to patients

related trademarks, copyrights etc of

Fortis Healthcare is now bringing its 17+ years of legacy in liver care to Fortis Vadapalani, Chennai by launching a stateof-the-art Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary and Liver transplant centre. The centre was inaugurated by the liver transplant surgeon in South Asia Dr Vivek Vij in the presence of Dr Sanjay Pandey and Dr Puneet Dargan. The dedicated centre will provide comprehensive and holistic liver care to patients.

(exclusive

The state-of-the-art liver centre is equipped with advanced technology and 24x7 accessibility to expert doctors. The dedicated HPB and liver transplant centre will be headed by Dr Vivek Vij, Chairman -Advanced Surgical GI, HPB & Liver Transplant and his team of experts.

Mankind to buy domestic formulation biz of Panacea Biotech for Rs 1908 Cr Mankind Pharma has agreed to buy the domestic formulations business of Panacea Biotec Pharma, a subsidiary of Sputnik V maker Panacea Biotec for Rs 1,908 crore. In a notification to the stock

board approved the decision to sell the domestic formulations business including formulations brands in India and Nepal, its subsidiary Panacea Biotec Pharma to Mankind Pharma for Rs 1908 crore of

taxes).

Panacea

Biotec

Pharma and Mankind Pharma entered into a binding term sheet on January 31.

MaxiVision forays into Tamil Nadu and Karnataka MaxiVision Eye Hospitals, one of the largest eye care networks in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have announced their expansion plans to neighbouring states, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. MaxiVision will introduce Femto Robotic cataract, the state of the art technology for the first time in Tamil Nadu.

Voxtur Bio launches VoxPress COVID-19 Mumbai-based Voxtur Bio has launched an advanced point of care rapid neutralising antibody test kit VoxPress COVID-19 for detecting

neutralising

antibodies.

The

neutralising antibody rapid test is the fastest and most convenient test format that gives information on the presence or absence of a neutralising antibody. The plaque reduction neutralising test

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News Roundup Nursing; Muralee Thummarukudy, Acting Head, Resilience to Disasters and Conflicts Global Support Branch, United Nations Environment Programme, Switzerland; and Dr Carolyn Gomes, Executive Director, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Jamaica.

Mankind Pharma acquires two brands from Dr Reddy’s Laboratories VoxPress COVID-19 test kit and Elisa methods are very expensive and require sophisticated instruments and trained person to perform the test. On the other hand, VoxPress COVID-19 neutralising antibody is a lateral flow test that detects IgG antibodies to spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, from a small finger prick of blood in only 15 minutes.

West Pharma appoints Ravikrishna Chebolu as GM India West Pharmaceutical Services, a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration announced the appointment of Ravikrishna Chebolu as GM of its India operations. With more than 20 years of relevant commercial and general management experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, Chebolu will lead West’s cross-functional India leadership team to drive further growth for the business and deliver strategic plans for India.

Ravikrishna Chebolu

March 2022

… partners with IIT Palakkad’s TECHNIC for research centre West Pharmaceutical Services recently announced its partnership with TECHNIC – a Technology Innovation Foundation of IIT Palakkad which focuses on assisting innovation and incubation for budding entrepreneurs, to build a Medtech Research Center of Excellence. The aim of building a distinctive Medtech Research Center of Excellence is to enable access to healthcare and medical technology by developing an ecosystem of academia, hospitals, and the industry to promote local entrepreneurship. To achieve this objective, West’s medical expertise with IIT’s unique incubation model will be combined to advance research and development in medical technology.

Aster Guardians Global Nursing Awards to be held in Dubai on May 12

Mankind Pharma has partnered with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to acquire two of its brands Combihale and Daffy. Combihale is used for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The market for this category is valued at ~ Rs 900 crores growing at 14 per cent (IQVIA). The acquisition of Combihale is expected to strengthen Mankind’s presence in the inhalation respiratory market segment. Daffy is a soap-free moisturising bar for infant babies. The total market for this category is valued at ~ Rs 1000 crores growing at 18 per cent (IQVIA).

IGBA sets up CEO Advisory Committee The International Generic and Biosimilar medicines

Association

(IGBA)

has

established a CEO Advisory Committee consisting of 13 leading multinational companies from Canada, Europe, India, Israel, Japan, and the US. The committee members are: Chirag

Patel,

Chief

Executive

President Officer

and –

Co-

Amneal

Pharmaceuticals; Jeff Watson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Apotex; Pankaj

Aster Guardians Global Nursing Awards will

Patel, Chairman, Cadila Healthcare; Samina

be held in Dubai on International Nurses

Hamied,

Day on May 12, 2022. One outstanding

Cipla;

performer in the field of nursing will claim

Reddy’s

the grand prize of $250,000 while nine

Chief Executive Officer, Insud Pharma;

other finalists would share the stage to

Vinita Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, –

receive a substantial award each. Aster DM

Lupin; Richard Saynor, Chief Executive

Healthcare has brought on board a lineup

Officer,

of some of the world’s leaders in healthcare

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

as Grand jury namely, Howard Catton

Executive Board – STADA Arzneimittel;

– Chief Executive Officer, International

Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun

Council

Prof

Pharmaceutical Industries; Kåre Schultz,

Sheila Tlou – Co-Chairperson, Global HIV

President and Chief Executive Officer,

Prevention Coalition and Ex-Minister of

Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries; David

Health & Member of Parliament – Govt of

Peix, Chief Executive Officer, Towa Pharma

Botswana; Prof James Buchan – Adjunct

International Holdings; Michael Goettler,

Professor, WHO Collaborating Centre for

Chief Executive Officer, Viatris.

Nurses,

Switzerland;

Executive Satish

Vice-Chairperson,

Reddy,

Laboratories;

Sandoz;

Chairman, Lucas

Peter

Sigman,

Goldschmidt,

Launch of 100 bed covid ICU at Narayana Health City

Narayana Health, Goldman Sachs launch 100-bed COVID-ICU at Narayana Health City Narayana Health has expanded its COVID ICU facilities. The company in association with Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment bank, and its non-profit partner United Way Bengaluru, has launched a modern 100-bed COVID ICU facility at its flagship unit, Narayana Health City in Bengaluru. The facility was inaugurated by Sourav Ganguly, President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Former National Cricket Team Captain in the presence of Sonjoy Chatterjee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs in India, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Founder & Chairman, Narayana Health and Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson & Founder, Biocon.

Health startup Proactive For Her raises $5.5 M in Series A Round

Insurtech HealthySure raises $1.2 M Insurtech start-up HealthySure has raised $1.2 million (Rs 9 crore approx.) in a PreSeries A round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round also saw participation from We Founder Circle, Dexter Angels, Campus Fund, HEM Angels and other private investors. The funds will be used to further fuel its mission of offering innovative and affordable group health insurance led solutions to the Indian workforce and their families.

Mpower-Center opens at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in Pune Mpower launched its latest Mpower-Center in Pune at the Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital. Located on the third floor, in the A Wing at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, the Mpower Center was inaugurated by Mpower in the virtual presence of chief Guest Dattatray Bharane, State Minister of

women’s outpatient healthcare, has raised

Forest, General Administration, Animal

$5.5 Million in Series A funding led by

Husbandry,

Vertex Ventures South East Asia and India

Minister – Solapur and Rekha Dubey, CEO,

with participation from existing investor

Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital.

PWD,

Soil

Dairy,

Water

Conservation,

Fishery;

Guardian

launch their flagship clinic in Bengaluru. By March 2022, Proactive For Her will launch their flagship offline clinic in Indiranagar, Bengaluru as the next step in their journey towards providing full-stack clinical care to women.

Micro-Tech Endoscopy has introduced the first self-expanding tracheobronchial nitinol y-stent. The Y-Shaped Tracheal Stent System is designed to be a flexible, compliant device to aid in the treatment of malignant neoplasms at the tracheobronchial carina. Micro-Tech Endoscopy has introduced the first selfexpanding tracheobronchial nitinol y-stent. The Y-Shaped Tracheal Stent System is designed to be a flexible, compliant device to aid in the treatment of malignant neoplasms at the tracheobronchial carina.

Carestream India launches advanced digital radiology solution The DRX Compass Carestream Health India has launched The DRX Compass, an accurate, convenient

Nexus Venture Partners. The funds will be grow their online customer base, and

Micro-Tech Endoscopy launches self-expanding Y-Shaped tracheal stent system

Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson,

Proactive For Her, a digital clinic for

used to expand digital product offerings,

backed by TPG Growth, has signed definitive documentation for a $170 million investment from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC. The investment is one of the largest in the single-speciality healthcare services sector in India. Incubated by TPG Growth in 2016 under the leadership of Vishal Bali, AHH owns and operates South Asia’s largest singlespeciality healthcare delivery platform with a unique approach to growing and scaling various single-speciality healthcare companies under one enterprise. GIC’s partnership with TPG will help AHH add more healthcare enterprises to its network. To date, AHH has invested approximately $200 million across single-speciality healthcare enterprises in oncology, mother and childcare, and Fertility. Under AHH, these entities have established market leadership in their respective verticals and regions.

TPG-backed Asia Healthcare Holdings raises $170 M from Singapore’s GIC

and configurable digital radiology solution

Asia Healthcare Holdings, the single speciality healthcare delivery platform

tubes,

designed to provide radiologists with a whole new level of efficiency. Additionally, DRX Compass offers the versatility to build the desired configuration from a wide range of selections in detectors, generators,

tables,

collimators,

giving radiology facilities full control over

www.indiamedtoday.com

News Roundup to the separation of approximately 400 employees of NIL due to role redundancies. We understand the implications of this difficult decision on those impacted and their loved ones and we are extending a

severance

package

along

with

outplacement services.

Union Labour & Employment Minister lays foundation of 500bed hospital in Manesar Union Labour and Employment, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Bhupender

The DRX Compass how they can use this future-proof digital radiology technology.

Aster Labs launches advanced pathology lab in Visakhapatnam Aster Labs, the diagnostic wing of Aster DM Healthcare has announced the launch of its pathology lab in Visakhapatnam, Maddilapalem, Andhra Pradesh. Aster Labs Visakhapatnam will soon be equipped to perform the Covid-19 RT-PCR test and will provide accurate results in less than 12 hours to patients.

Health-tech startup My Family First to open 500 digitally-enabled clinics in rural areas Delhi-based health-tech startup My Family First intends to open 500 Digitally Enabled Smart Health (DESH) clinics in rural areas across the country in the next two years to connect patients in remote villages

urban regions. Patients can benefit from the best medical advice right at their doorsteps at affordable prices and do not need to travel to cities.

Novartis India in exclusive sales and distribution agreement with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Novartis India announced an exclusive

the

need of Nursing staff in ESIC Hospitals, the minister announced to open a nursing college in Manesar. The announcement was welcomed by Haryana CM with the commitment of providing five-acre land for this nursing college.

Cloudnine appoints three independent directors

sales and distribution agreement with Dr

Cloudnine has announced the appointment

Reddy’s Laboratories (Dr. Reddy’s) for a

of three new independent directors to its

few of its Established Medicines which

board. Nupur Garg, a leading investor in

includes the Voveran range, the Calcium

private equity and venture capital space

range and Methergine.

and founder of WinPE, Lizzie Chapman,

This arrangement aims to further broaden

an entrepreneur pioneering ‘Buy Now,

access of these medicines beyond the

Pay Later’ in India and CEO & Co-Founder

current geographies to benefit many more

patients, more efficiently, by significantly

Vice

extending

Non-Independent Director on the board

the

reach

healthcare

professionals through an expanded field force. This strategic business decision is leading

ZestMoney Chairman

and and

Parthasarathy Non-

VS,

Executive,

of Allcargo logistics and Independent Director with LIC of India and mentor to several start-ups.

30 DESH clinics across Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madya Pradesh through the franchising route. The DESH Clinics comprise India’s first integrated telehealth service. These use digital technology and IoT-based devices to directly connect doctors in cities with patients in the rural hinterland, solving the problem of scarcity

March 2022

down

(ESIC) in Manesar, Haryana. Keeping the

metro cites. The company has opened

laid

Employees State Insurance Corporation

and towns with medical specialists in the

of qualified doctors in villages and semi-

Yadav

foundation stone of 500 bed-hospital of

(L-R) Nupur Garg, Lizzie Chapman and Parthasarathy VS

Opening ceremony of Govt Junior College at Somalingapuram

Pradip Shah

Aurobindo Pharma Foundation opens Govt Junior College at Somalingapuram, AP

CEPI, THSTI, Panacea Biotec partner for Betacoronavirus vaccines

Aurobindo Pharma Foundation launched a newly constructed Government Junior College building at Somalingapuram village and panchayat, Merakamudidam Mandal, Vizianagaram district. The college building consists of 12 classrooms that include a laboratory room beside a staff room, principal room, cycle shed, separate toilet blocks for girls, boys and staff, compound wall and other infrastructure.

Preparedness Innovations, announced the

Shah has also served as a consultant to USAID, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. He is a Director on the Board of several reputed companies and is also a member of various prestigious committees/commissions. Shah is presently the Chairman of Indasia Fund Advisors. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, is a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant and ranked first in India in the Chartered Accountancy Examination.

Skye Air Mobility in partnership with Redcliffe Labs

CEPI,

the

Coalition

for

Epidemic

latest award under its $200m programme, launched in March 2021, to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad variants

protection and

against

other

SARS-Cov-2

Betacoronaviruses.

CEPI will partner with a consortium comprised of the Translational Health Science

and

Technology

Institute

(THSTI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Panacea Biotec, a researchbased biopharmaceutical company and vaccine manufacturer, to develop vaccine

Skye Air Mobility, a drone delivery logistics

candidates

provider has signed a long term agreement

protection against SARS-Cov-2 variants

with Redcliffe Labs based out of Delhi-

and other Betacoronaviruses.

NCR. The partnership in the diagnostics space is for a faster supply chain for sample collection to cater to urban, semi-urban and remote corners of the country using drone delivery technology. Skye Air will conduct BVLOS drone delivery trials in a select corridor and subsequently followed by commercial roll-outs in several urban and remote locations in India. Around 30-40 test flights will be conducted from Redcliffe Lab’s National Reference Lab in

that

could

provide

broad

Pfizer board appoints Pradip Shah as Chairman The Pfizer Limited Board of Directors appointed Pradip Shah as the Chairman of the Board of Pfizer. Shah has been on the Board of Pfizer since December 1999 and has been guiding the board and management on various financial and strategic decisions.

Noida from mid-February onwards. The

Shah is the ex-Managing Director of CRISIL.

engagement shall also capture deploying

Before founding CRISIL, Shah assisted

drones in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,

in founding the Housing Development

J&K and North Eastern states.

Finance

Corporation

(HDFC)

1977.

BC Platforms announces data partnership with Mitsubishi Space Software BC Platforms (BCP), a global leader in healthcare data management and analytics, has announced a new data partnership with Japan's Mitsubishi Space Software. The collaboration, which provides secure access to Mitsubishi's cancer specific cohort of 8,000 patients, will accelerate the provision of cancer genetic data analysis services to medical institutions for cancer research, the company said. As part of the collaboration, Mitsubishi joins BCP's BCRQUEST network, which is revolutionising drug development and personalising care. This global, federated data partner network enables analytics and deeper insights. BCP has built this network, which reaches over 22 million patient lives in the catchment area, and data partners across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific to enable the realization of the full potential of realworld data.

www.indiamedtoday.com

News Roundup

Saffron-based eye care product

Self-disinfecting, biodegradable face mask

ENTOD Pharma introduces saffron-based eye care product

ARCI scientists develop self-disinfecting, biodegradable face mask

ENTOD

Scientists

Pharmaceuticals,

research-

Technology (DST), Government of India, in

Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital partners with Karkinos Healthcare for cancer care

collaboration with the Centre for Cellular

Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital has

International

Advanced

based pharmaceutical organisation has

Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy

come up with a saffron-based eye care

and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous

supplement, MACUSAFF capsule in India. Manufactured from 100 per cent DNA certified Persian origin natural saffron extract with guaranteed 5 per cent crocins and

specially

imported

from

France.

The natural eye supplement helps with various eye conditions like age-related

R&D Centre of Department of Science and

& Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and Resil Chemicals, a Bengaluru-based company have

developed

the

copper-based antiviral

face

self-disinfecting

nanoparticle-coated masks

under

the

DST

macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic

sponsored Nano-Mission project, to fight

retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa.

against the COVID-19 pandemic. ARCI

FABA presents awards to contributors in bio technology

Controller General of India (DCGI) for NONS as part of the accelerated approval process.

partnered with Karkinos Healthcare to promote early detection of cancer in Mumbai

among

the

under-privileged

communities. The community outreach programme will be conducted to screen 2,00,000 people for cancer in and across

developed copper-based nanoparticles of

Mumbai, along with a managed cancer

around 20 nanometres by a Flame Spray

care

Pyrolysis (FSP) processing facility. FSP

services will be provided for free to the

process involves the conversion of solution

under-privileged

delivery

system.

The

screening

communities

under

precursors into nanopowders by high-

this initiative. The initiative will provide

Federation of Asian Biotech Associations

temperature

access to potentially life-saving cancer

(FABA) has announced the recipients of

Stable

was

Screening facilities to those belonging to

this year’s prestigious FABA Awards, which

obtained by optimising the solid loading

economically backward categories, as they

was named after Dr BS Bajaj last year, for

and pH. A uniform layer of this nano-

are the ones who need such facilities the

their contributions to the advancement in

coating on the cotton fabric with good adhesion was achieved using a suitable

most, due to a lack of awareness and funds

biotechnology. Dr BS Bajaj Memorial FABA Special Award-2022 will be conferred

binder.

upon Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E for introducing Corbevax vaccine

augmenting

the

global

collective fight against COVID-19 and BP Acharya, Patron, FABA has been selected for the FABA Lifetime Achievement Award for his notable contributions to AIBA (All India Biotech Associations) and FABA. The awards will be conferred during the 19th edition of BioAsia, the largest annual global Biotechnology and Life Sciences summit of Asia, organised by the Government of Telangana and FABA.

March 2022

pyrolytic

nanoparticle

decomposition. suspension

for such tests. These tests can help detect specific types of cancer before signs and

Glenmark, SaNOtize launch FabiSpray in India

symptoms arise. The primary objectives

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Canadian pharmaceutical company SaNOtize Research & Development Corp announced the launch of its Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray under the brand name FabiSpray in India; for the treatment of adult patients with COVID-19 who have a high risk of progression of the disease. Glenmark earlier received manufacturing and marketing approval from the Drugs

deaths altogether through early detection.

of cancer screening are to save lives that are taken by cancer and to prevent cancer

Aster CMI Hospital with Datar Cancer Genetics launch cancer care Aster CMI Hospital in association with Datar Cancer Genetics, a leading cancer research company

launched

comprehensive

cancer screening Programme. The hospital is bringing in EasyCheck360 (multiple cancers), EasyCheck FemmeSafe (women’s) and EasyCheck Prostrate cancer screening tests.

EasyCheck

revolutionary,

radiation-free, globally recognised simple blood test for early cancer detection. It is clinically validated by one of the world’s largest clinical trials registered with the WHO clinical Trial Registry brought to you

Venus Remedies joins AMRIA to combat imminent health threat

by Datar Cancer Genetics.

NITI Aayog, USAID collaborate to accelerate health innovation in India Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new

A vision centre

partnership under the Sustainable Access

vulnerable populations in Tier-II and III

Standard Chartered funds 20 vision centres across five districts of UP and Bihar

cities, and rural and tribal regions. The

Standard

new partnership announced will enhance

hands with Mission for Vision for setting

SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable

up 20 new vision centres (VCs) in several

populations, leveraging AIM’s expertise

districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar under

in innovation and entrepreneurship. AIM

the Seeing is Believing and Mission Jyot

and SAMRIDH will leverage philanthropic

programmes respectively. Shri Sadguru

capital, and public sector resources to

Seva Sangh Trust and Siliguri Greater Lions

offset barriers for commercial investments

Eye Hospital are the other two partners in

in small and medium health enterprises to

this project which is expected to cater to a

invest in and scale healthcare solutions.

population coverage of one million people.

to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery

Healthcare

(SAMRIDH)

initiative, which will improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for

Partnership between NITI Aayog and USAID

Chartered

Bank

has

joined

Venus Remedies has joined the league of over 100 globally renowned organisations as a member of the AMR Industry Alliance (AMRIA) in continuation of its commitment to developing solutions to combat the grave public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Alliance membership comprises R&D-based pharmaceutical, generics, diagnostics and biotechnology companies, apart from industry associations. Together, they have collectively invested over $1.9 billion in AMR-relevant R&D in FY 2020. In addition to promoting innovation to prevent, diagnose and treat drug-resistant infections, this global coalition is checking the emergence of resistance through appropriate use, addressing barriers to patient access to appropriate drugs and advancing responsible manufacturing.

AstraZeneca expands ‘Young Health Programme’ to Bengaluru AstraZeneca, a science-led biopharmaceutical company, and Plan India, an NGO striving to improve the lives of millions of children and young people, signed an MoU to expand its ‘Young Health Programme’ (YHP) in the state of Karnataka. YHP aims to reduce the uptake of unhealthy behaviours in young people to improve their health outcomes as adults and help address the growing burden of NCDs on health systems. YHP established 15 ‘Health Information Centres’ in Delhi, two in Chennai and will be launching three in the communities around Mahadevpura, Dasarahalli and Yelahanka in Bengaluru. In this first year in Karnataka, YHP aims to reach 50,000 adolescents and build a strong foundation to scale up the project in the years to come.

www.indiamedtoday.com

News Roundup Manipal Hospitals launches teleconsultation for women

and also gives precise variants to enable

the approval and launch of CoviSwift – the

appropriate treatment. KRIVIDA Novus

world’s first point of care high throughput

will be produced at Kriya’s state-of-the-

solution for COVID-19. CoviSwift is the

art manufacturing facility in Oragadam

first POC testing solution that can be used

Manipal Hospitals has launched ‘For Women, By Women’, a video consultation platform where women can come forward to discuss all their health needs with the women practitioners at the hospital. The platform addresses any problems that females are likely to face, from a lump or swelling in the armpit, discomfort, mental fatigue, tiredness, loss of weight, missed period, headache, to psychologicalemotional disorders. Moreover, it has been curated for their comfort with an easy 2-step registration process and assures 100 per cent confidentiality. It is time for women to open their deepest worries and find comfort in the arms of women specialists at Manipal Hospitals.

in Chennai. The company currently has

at small labs, in-hospital labs, airports,

a production capacity of 5 million tests

villages and allow gold standard testing

per month and plans to increase it to 10

million tests per month within the next

solution comprises the CoviSwift assay

two weeks.

and Compact-Q machines which process

Kriya Medical Technologies receives manufacturing license for KRIVIDA Novus RTPCR Kit Chennai-headquartered

Kriya

license from the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) for its product KRIVIDA Novus, an RT-PCR kit that can detect the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages in 45 minutes. Priced at Rs 150 +taxes, the

Eclat

accuracy. Mylab has developed software

Health

Solutions,

leading

the traditional method of RT-PCR testing while

maintaining

without

base at Hyderabad has announced its

diagnostics. The user just needs to take

ambitious expansion plans to tier-II and

the nasal sample into tubes, mix and put

tier-III cities as well as existing two centres

it into the Compact Q, as simple as a self-

in the Telangana. Backed by Private Equity

test. It will be available in a pack of single

Investor Gulf Capital, Eclat Health Solutions

tests with all components so that labs do

is embarked on a growth strategy. It is now

not need to manage reagent storage and

planning to add another 1400 employees

logs. CoviSwift comes with a shelf life of

in the next 18 months. These will be added

24 months at room temperature – the first

and another at Karimnagar. At present, it has 800 people working in Hyderabad and 200 at Karimnagar. Now it is adding 300 at Karimnagar and 600 at Hyderabad.

Mylab Discovery Solutions launches CoviSwift Mylab Discovery Solutions has announced

with a test run time of roughly 45 minutes. It provides an early report to aid diagnosis

CoviSwift

results

standard

any

the

gold

headquartered in Washington DC and a

at two existing locations one at Hyderabad

interpret

the

healthcare technology-services company,

compatible with Real-Time PCR machines

March 2022

The

approximately four times faster than

entry point screening at airports. The kit is

anywhere.

Eclat Health to expand in Tier-II and III cities

test is affordable and most suitable for

KRIVIDA Novus

throughputs

16 samples within 40 minutes. This is

Medical

Technologies has received its manufacturing

high

expertise

automatically in

molecular

in its category – making it a truly made-for -India product.

Pristyn Care doubles its surgical centres Pristyn Care, a health technology start-up specialising in secondary-care surgeries, has doubled its surgical centres to 800 in 2021. Pristyn Care surgical centres are now functional across the seven metro

cities – Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata – and 35 tier II & III cities across the country. Operating in over 12 surgical categories such as general surgery, ophthalmology, ENT, urology, gynaecology, – Pristyn Care has successfully treated over 60k patients and completed 1Mn+ patient interactions. Pristyn Care operates on an innovative full-stack Care Delivery model to ensure that high-quality surgical care is offered to patients at an affordable cost. It achieves this through its policy of using the underutilised OT and bed capacity available at its partner hospitals. The company invests in high-end medical technology like diode lasers, Microdebriders, phacolasers, 3D meshes, coblators and mini-port laparoscopy kits and many more such advanced equipment.

NephroPlus launches apps for better dialysis care NephroPlus has launched two apps for dialysis patients and nephrologists. The first-of-its-kind innovation consists of a Patient App and a Nephrologist App, available on both Android and iOS, where important information related to patient medical history and dialysis, in general, is available at the fingertips. With the Patient app, NephroPlus patients can now book dialysis sessions with just a few taps, book holiday dialysis sessions anywhere in India, get access to the largest directory of dialysis friendly recipes, access prescriptions and investigation results, consult a dietician for free, pay for sessions without having to carry cash and cards to the dialysis centre and book video consults with nephrologists. Nephrologists can see the entire clinical history of their patients through the app.

New South Wales to establish Australia’s first commercial-scale viral vector manufacturing facility New South Wales (NSW) will leverage its world-class cell and gene therapy expertise to establish Australia’s first commercialscale viral vector manufacturing facility at Westmead. Premier Dominic Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Minister for Jobs, Investment, and Western Sydney

Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government is now seeking partners to co-invest. “New South Wales has led the nation investing over $120 million to expand its advanced biomanufacturing footprint, including $25 million to develop our viral vector capability,” Perrottet said. Viral vector technology delivers genetic material into cells and has been in use since the 1970s. The planned viral vector manufacturing facility in NSW will provide ground-breaking trial therapies for infections, cancer and genetic diseases. Hazzard said the NSW Government will be seeking interest from companies with commercial and biotechnology expertise to co-invest in the Westmead-based facility. “With gene therapies and COVID-19 vaccines straining global manufacturing capacity in recent years, viral vector manufacturing services are in high demand worldwide,” Mr Hazzard said. “In Australia alone, we have two million people living with a genetic disease. Local production will ensure we can run more research trials and increase treatment options.” Ayres said the facility will manufacture high-quality clinical grade viral vectors and will serve the Australian, broader Asia-Pacific and global markets. “The gene therapy and cell therapy sectors are experiencing phenomenal growth and upscaling our viral vector manufacturing will keep NSW at the forefront of this industry,” Mr Ayres said. “Westmead Health and Innovation District is a recognised hub for innovative research and this facility will boost jobs for NSW and provide access to new groundbreaking therapies and treatments.” Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens said the NSW Government was committed to fostering world-class medical research.

IIT Madras Research Team

IIT Madras research team identifies gene/protein variation that increases risk of metabolic diseases An Indian Institute of Technology Madrasled International Research Team has identified a gene/protein variation present among Indians and other South Asians that increased their risk of diabetes, heart attacks and hypertension. The multiinstitutional and multi-disciplinary team of researchers found that this variation was present in approximately 15 per cent of Indian and other South Asian populations. The researchers also found that people carrying this variant are 1.5 times more likely to have hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease. This combination could account for the higher prevalence of metabolic diseases among Indians and other South Asians.

Elanpro forays into South India Elanpro, a leading commercial refrigeration company, announced the launch of its

“NSW is leading the nation in this space and we want to harness our cutting-edge research and development and continue to create an innovative, diversified and globally competitive economy,” Mr Henskens said.

first Experience Centre in Hyderabad,

Expressions of Interest for co-investment have now commenced.

newly launched experience centre will give

Telangana. Spread across 500 sq ft, the experience centre is located in Madhapur. Establishing

its

footprint

Southern

India, Elanpro is expanding its business and growing its presence across India. The its customers access to bio-medical sector

www.indiamedtoday.com

News Roundup apart from other sectors. Additionally, qualified experts/representatives at the store will give users product demos. Consisting of advanced technology, energy efficiency, and good quality, Elanpro’s finest Commercial Refrigerators are designed ergonomically, giving its product an aesthetic look. The bio-medical range is equipped with best-in-class technology maintaining the temperature and efficacy of all medical products. In addition to this, Elanpro has displayed its temperature monitoring device, ‘Thingif(y),’ which is put in all of its products and keeps the temperature of all units’ constant. Launch of Experience Centre in Hyderabad

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March 2022

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02 `200

Insight

EdTech and how it's influencing the current environment The current EdTech landscape will keep on evolving with new products that provide an experiential learning experience for users, reveals

Wendy Dsouza, Senior VP, Enterprise Ireland and Education in Ireland

EdTech has revolutionised how the education industry is currently functioning. Not just our classrooms, but also training programmes in our offices had to go online overnight. All this was unimaginable 18 months ago. The EdTech industry uses digital technology to deliver a new form of learning architecture. It is instrumental in driving all kinds of pathbreaking changes to our environment, and has emerged as a sought after, dynamic, but also a lucrative business. For instance, there is a product that enables educators to create a “learning DNA” profile of each student. The software has been built to continually adapt content and resources according to their performance, style of learning and interests. This intuitive product can help educators develop content tailored for their students. With EdTech, the barriers have been blurred, and ease of access to content has been possible to a greater number of people. But yes, consumers are looking for quality over quantity now. Artificial Intelligence, automation and digitalisation are redefining norms in education as more efficient and engaging forms of educational delivery channels emerge. In this competitive world, one has to be

a life-long learner, and education is no longer something you leave behind after your schooling. Ambitious and careeroriented professionals are expected to keep up with current trends and developments, and sometimes even to re-train for a new career in their middle age. Upskilling and reskilling is the need of the hour. Thankfully, advancements and innovations in educational technology offer professionals the flexibility to study while they work with minimum disturbance to their working life. Even though the mode of delivery of education training keeps changing, there remain some constants: students will always need teachers and professionals, the trainer. But as in other sectors undergoing rapid technological advancement, only those teachers/ trainers who can use IT to increase productivity and performance will prosper. In the light of this, it’s fortunate that India has a young, employable population eager to attain training and certification. There is also a growing demand for reskilling, hence even with the economy opening up and normalcy slowly returning, remote learning is here to stay.

www.indiamedtoday.com

Insight

EdTech is allowing a hybrid model to thrive. This is the definite future for not only educational institutions but also corporates. But a hybrid model has its challenges with limited resources. The resources must be optimally divided between face-to-face interactions, which impose highest cost on institutions and corporates, and asynchronous virtual learning, which lower costs. The biggest segment in EdTech is K-12, with LMS leading its way followed by corporate training, test preparation, etc. In the future, we will see a growing demand for teacher training, performance monitoring, upskilling of hobbies and interests, gamification of content and also AI proctoring. We will also see a growth in semi-urban and rural

population-focussed

products

as Internet and smartphone devices increasingly penetrate these areas. EdTech is enabling personalised and adaptive

learning.

Online

platforms

offer flexible and convenient learning environments

which

allow

students

to learn at their own pace. Adaptive learning

ensures

that

students

are

engaged in a way that brings out the best results. Cloud-based EdTech platforms are

additionally

gaining

popularity.

Academic content, online assessments, school

management,

parent-teacher

communication, etc. which are cloudbased

will

help

real-time

tracking,

instant reports and much more. While the pandemic has given the EdTech industry a boost, the current EdTech landscape will keep on evolving with new products that provide an experiential learning experience for users, well after the age of lockdowns and curfews comes to an end. In the coming years, online education will be the new normal, where the mantra will be to learn anywhere, at any time, at one’s own pace! 22

March 2022

Cover Story

Is Gender Gap Undermining Healthcare Businesses

As more industries strive for gender equality for sustainable growth, we ask experts to explain why women do not reach senior ranks in healthcare organisations in India and how is this affecting the healthcare business Team IMT www.indiamedtoday.com

Cover Story

We keep a very close watch on women leadership to balance genders and for a more equitable representation Dr Alok Roy, Member, FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals

March 2022

n India, almost 70 per cent of the healthcare workforce is made up of women but less than 25 per cent of this workforce occupies leadership positions. Gender equality in the workforce is a passionately discussed subject leading to a number of actionable pointers but nothing much has changed in reality. In the management segments, some of the key barriers include gender stereotypes and bias, lack of mentorship and poor organisational support. Domains like hospital operations, housekeeping or clinical departments can be found with women leaders because they have the necessary acumen and knowledge. However, this is not the case in nursing as a majority of the workforce in the nursing sector constitute women. Still, there is something amiss when it comes to women holding the leadership role. Dr Alok Roy, Member, FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals says, "Yes, it is true for the Indian Healthcare sector, that private hospital ownership might be limited, then you have to primarily look at the constituents of those in a leadership position. Our hospital has female Vice President of Operations, the Vice President of Facilities is a lady, the housekeeping is headed by a lady

and the list goes on. We consciously nurture women's talent and by their merit and hard work they have got promoted to go higher up the ladder. We keep a very close watch on women leadership to balance genders and for a more equitable representation. It is

Gender balance across levels is non-existent and will remain elusive unless proactive measures are taken to eliminate the obstacles that keep women from reaching leadership positions. Rama Venugopal, Executive Director, Value Added Corporate Services

required that more women should come into

administration

and

leadership

positions." Rama Venugopal, Executive Director, Value Added Corporate Services says, "Healthcare sector, like any other sector, needs a balanced mix of leadership roles at levels of organisation structure. This lays a very strong foundation for the growth of the sector." She also feels that a gender balance across levels is non-existent and will remain elusive unless proactive measures are

Leaders tend to be more empathetic, making them better placed to occupy leadership positions.

taken to eliminate the obstacles that

Ishiqa Multani,

Group of Hospitals, "As a woman,

President Sagar Group of Hospitals

getting

keep women from reaching leadership positions. Says Ishiqa Multani, President-Sagar to

the

highest

offices

healthcare takes a lot of work, given that there are more constraining factors that make it challenging for women to climb the ladder of leadership. Many of the C-Suite executives and department heads in healthcare organisations are men."

Women sometimes may lack confidence, they are underpaid and there is the absence of agency to navigate gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO, Wadia Hospitals

Main constraints There are multiple constraints for women to hold a senior-most position. Maintaining a work-life balance, gender discrimination and sexual harassment are some of the challenges that a woman comes across in the corporate sector. Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO, Wadia Hospitals explains, "Women sometimes may lack confidence, they are underpaid and there is the absence of agency to navigate gender discrimination and sexual harassment." Adding to this, Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics says, “To name a few corporate speed breakers, a company may not have a proper agency to navigate the institutional structures and may also be scarce on the support and mentoring required to bring women to senior positions. Sexual harassment is another crucial reason for women to be kept away from such senior roles.” However, Dr (Major) Harshita Surange, Founder, CEO, Clinical Head, DESH Clinics a venture of Family First opines, "With changing times and mindset the constraints to reach the top in the hierarchy by women is not very difficult and if you are eligible and qualified nothing comes in between the top line and you." She adds, “The child bearing period and its connected leave period always make the employer to have a preference to male.” India’s patriarchal system in is the main impediment- where men are given the top position always. It is very difficult to accept the women in the top position and men are reluctant to be under a woman leader. According to Dr Beena KV Additional Medical Superintendent Amrita Hospital, Kochi, “Women find it difficult to get support from her men folk.” Woman traditionally adjusts her career option to suit that of the husband and keeping the interest of children in mind. To that extent balancing the family, prioritising the needs etc., are posing a challenge of sorts.

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Cover Story

According to Ramesh Kannan, Partner at Somerset Indus Healthcare Fund, “Post Covid there is a significant technology development and work from home is the new norm. This can be taken advantage of by the lady professionals and clearly offers the scope to achieve their objective. While we see lady employees occupying senior posts in the metro cities partly, we don’t see that happening in other cities.”

are different. A leader or top brass is

Do women leaders (CEOs, CXOs) perform better?

in the workplace. Investing in women

Better capabilities lead to success. Research proves that a balance of men and women leaders in a Company outperforms Companies that are led solely by men. Having women in a leadership position proves to be inspirational for other women who aspire to reach that position as well. Gender diversity is key to success, better productivity, innovation, decision making, and satisfaction is seen in companies with a healthy gender ratio. Women have less mentors than men to help them navigate the institutional ecosystem.Women also do not have the same opportunities like the men do.

essential in meeting the needs of today’s

Thinking about it Multani adds, "Women leaders tend to be more empathetic, making them better placed to occupy leadership positions. Empathy is also beneficial in leading employees, making it much easier to motivate them. Thus, it is safe to say that women leaders perform better, which is why companies should invest in female leaders." Dr Devlina Chakravarty, MD, Artemis Hospitals, while citing an example about her organisation, says that most of the leadership positions are taken up by women as the workforce has learned better than any male counterparts. According to her, women should be given better roles in leadership positions not just in healthcare but across industries.

a more capable person and capability does

not

come

being

any

particular gender. I am a woman and I am heading two companies. I have my strengths and weaknesses, and so do other CEO’s/CXO." Investing in female leaders There is a huge need to invest in female leaders as it will lead to gender balance makes good business sense because diverse and inclusive workplaces are diverse clients, communities and other key stakeholders. For instance, Medica Hospital

has

women

valet

drivers,

that was all this while considered as a pure male bastion. Similarly, the hospital trains and promotes women in managerial positions as well, depending on the availability of positions. Besides, regular training sessions and workshops are also organised. This adds to the value of the organisation says Dr Roy. Dr

Bodhanwala

says,

"Women’s

leadership in healthcare is imperative. Better

hiring,

promoting,

enabling

networks, and mentoring will help a

It is very difficult to accept the women in the top position and men are reluctant to be under a woman leader.

Negating gender bias

Dr Beena KV,

Dr Surange says, "Why to compete on

Additional Medical Superintendent, Amrita Hospital, Kochi

a gender basis. Equality and leadership 26

March 2022

If you are eligible and qualified nothing comes in between the top line and you. Dr. (Maj) Harshita Surange, Founder & CEO, DESH Clinics

large number of women to take up leadership roles. It is a fact that female leaders will make a better society for women to thrive."

While we see lady employees occupying senior posts in the metro cities partly, we don’t see that happening in other cities. Ramesh Kannan, Partner, Somerset Indus Healthcare Fund

"Doing the balancing act, caring and empathising comes naturally to women. These are the strong ingredients or qualities a good leader is supposed to possess. Healthcare deals with sick people and stressed outpatient attendees that require a lot of energy and patience, empathy, sympathy to manage this segment of customers. Women are used to doing multitasking act and managing multiple scenarios at a time comes naturally to them," Venugopal adds. Investing in female leaders creates a culture of diversity and equity within the organisation. Having more female leaders will encourage female employees and attract more qualified women to the organisation. Multani says, “Female leaders tend to perform better as they are more thoughtful and communicate much better, which will improve employee morale, which will affect output.”

Company cultures must be created in a manner that encourages more equity in leadership. More women should be mentored and groomed for leadership positions. Says Multani, “This can be done by selecting a few promising women with leadership acumen and pairing them with a leader in the company who shall serve as their leadership mentor. This will expose more women to leadership and

what

entails,

and

increase

the number of women interested in leadership opportunities." According

Vasudevan,

non-

gender biased leadership will enhance productivity, decision making etc. and will also affect the level of satisfaction among employees. A fair sense of recognition will also work as a driving force

among

employees.

Gender

diversity should be the key that will in turn bring any company success it desires. “Lady

doctors

entrepreneurs,

are thanks

becoming to

their

qualification. In the management and

Recommendations for more equitable healthcare leadership Companies should actively pursue the path of gender balance, encourage more women to come forward and break the so-called glass ceiling and encourage them at a grassroots level. The leadership positions at Medica are very well represented by women leaders. Out of the 25 highest positions, a good ten of them will be women who are leading by example. Almost 40 per cent of the women are leaders in the system and housekeeping consists of almost 70 per cent. According to Dr Surange, "We as women should not look for extra privileges, support and hand-holding unless we feel we are less privileged. If we relate our self-equal to our counterparts no matter how much we are supported we shall always feel that we are not being given equal opportunity."

Sexual harassment is a crucial reason for women to be kept away from such senior roles. Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics

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Cover Story

leadership role play there is definitely significant scope to enhance the role of women,” opines Kannan. Kannan further adds, “Women are very apt for health education and play a stellar role in harnessing and improving talent. Investing in female leaders is ultra-beneficial in the long run and builds a better bonding and compatibility with the team.” Conclusion

Women should be given better roles in leadership positions not just in healthcare but across industries Dr Devlina Chakravarty, MD, Artemis Hospitals

March 2022

It is important that a company is seen as an equal opportunity company promoting the interest of all subject to merit. Companies see a huge advantage in terms of lessor attrition, greater responsibility, focussed approach, challenging tasks, ability to manoeuvre tricky situations and attitude that is adjustable etc. A lot of initiatives are being undertaken by various stakeholders to take in more women's workforce in the health sector. Despite this, the number of women leaders are negligible. Companies need to relook strategies and minimise the gender gap and promote more women to climb the leadership ladder.

Opinion

Emotional intelligence - A training tool in hospitals Emotionally intelligent employees know how to balance work and life, embrace change easily, are good judges of character and neutralise negative talk in the environment.

YVV Raghava, Hospital Management Consultant and trainer

Hospitals see anxious and scared human beings who walk in and are accompanied by near and dear ones who are equally anxious. Unlike a mall where customers visit in a happy state of mind and want to spend money to enjoy, hospitals are always without exception full of sad and worrisome people who bring in a lot of negative emotions into the environment and leave a highly emotionally charged environment in the hospital. Employees in the hospital are bound to get impacted by the negatively charged emotions and are also bound to suffer. If research is undertaken, people who

work in hospitals may report sick more than any other industry or business because of the huge negative energies that permeate the hospital premises. The employees of the hospitals need to be trained extensively in emotional intelligence to break the effect of negative emotions prevalent in the working environment in the hospitals. Very simply defined, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and regulate one’s own emotions and also understand and manage others’ emotions. Emotional intelligence like an intelligent quotient is measurable.

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Opinion

other people. There are many tools and techniques to teach employees how to be self-aware of their own emotions. If employees are self-aware of emotions, conflicts can be avoided.

Unlike IQ, EQ can be improved by training people. Emotional intelligence can be learnt as well as taught. Training employees in emotional intelligence skills will help helps employees to move to the next level, reduce stress, teaches employees how to react to constructive criticism, helps employees conquer their fears, doubts,

and

insecurities,

improve

communication skills, enhance social skills and create a positive environment. Emotionally intelligent employees know how to balance work and life, embrace change easily, are good judges of character and neutralise negative talk in the environment. A high EQ in the team helps to build relationships, reduce team stress, defuse conflict and improve job satisfaction. There are four basic dimensions of emotional intelligence. •

Self-Awareness

•

Self-Management

•

Social Awareness

•

Social Management

Self-awareness is the first step of emotional intelligence. It teaches how to identify your emotions and be aware of them, their triggers and their impact. Beyond just recognising your emotions, however, is being aware of the effect of your actions, moods, and emotions on 30

March 2022

Self-regulation or self-management is the second of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence. It is the ability to control impulsive feelings and behaviours, manage one’s own emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances. Having to handle everyday new situations and new customers, hospital employees need to adapt to change very fast and self-management helps them to handle the situations better. Social awareness is the third dimension of emotional intelligence self-awareness is looking inward to learn about self and understand, social awareness is looking outward to learn about and appreciate others. Social awareness focuses on recognising and understanding others' feelings. Strong emotions can make it difficult to think clearly. People say and do things that they later regret when they are emotionally charged. Before reacting, people should stop and think about the emotions of others and then develop better ways of handling the situations. The last dimension is social management which helps to resolve conflict and build better understanding in teams. Social management helps in choosing the correct timing of what to say and when to say it. Research confirms that having highly emotionally intelligent teams in the workplace is a business advantage. And training has been conclusively shown to improve EI. Emotional intelligence is one of the best-known predictors of job performance. It improves job satisfaction and reduces job burnout. As workplace diversity increases, emotional intelligence as a training tool delivers wonderful results to the productivity of teams in hospitals.

Special Feature

Why is Omicron a 'Variant of Concern'? The real concern is that Omicron will cause more devastation to policymakers’ mass vaccination programmes (and to Big Pharma’s profit margins) than to human life Tracy S

Independent Journalist and Political Analyst,

Jeremy

Hammond,

uncovered data that indicates 'negative effectiveness' of mRNA vaccines, making the double vaccinated more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 than the unvaccinated Why is the Omicron variant of COVID-19, deemed a 'variant of concern' (VOC) by international public health authorities, and are they really even concerned with 'public “health'? It’s certainly not because the Omicron mutation is more fatal, far from it. Officials can’t dispute the data as they now openly admit that Omicron presents a significantly lower risk of severe disease.

Part of their reasoning is linked to how rapidly Omicron became the more dominant strain in parts of South Africa, where it was initially detected. After appearing in the US, Omicron quickly replaced the Delta strain and, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), now accounts for more than 98 per cent of covid infections. Aside from sheer chance, another reason Omicron could have taken over the other strains is the possibility that it could be substantially more transmissible. However, this in itself is not sufficient for Omicron to be a socalled “variant of concern, ” since it’s much less severe than its predecessors. If more people catch Omicron, while

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Special Feature

Natural immunity, acquired by catching covid and recovering from it, also depends on responses against the spike protein; however, naturally acquired immunity

comprises

significantly

wider array of immune responses, including antibody and T cell responses to the nucleocapsid and membrane proteins of SARS-CoV-2. Data indicates negative effectiveness approximately

months

after

vaccination. Before Omicron’s debut, data suggested that the efficacy of covid vaccines was reduced to less than zero. A Lancet preprint published

from

Swedish

researchers

October

25,

2021,

revealed the effectiveness of two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine dropped from 92 per cent in the first month to 47 per cent after six months, with no significant effectiveness after fewer people become seriously ill, it’s indicative that herd immunity is being achieved, and there’s no longer a pandemic, as the disease becomes endemic.

seven months.

As obtuse policymakers across the world proudly announced their irrational plans to achieve 'Zero Covid', more prudent minds observed from the beginning that we must adapt and learn to manage the microorganism because it’s not going to be eradicated.

So what else could prompt so-called public health “experts” to label Omicron a VOC? To put it bluntly, the real concern is that Omicron will cause more devastation to policymakers’ mass vaccination programmes (and to Big Pharma’s profit margins) than to human life. Many mutations were identified with Omicron, most of them occurring in covid’s spike protein, and the alleged protection provided by the newfangled mRNA vaccines depends on the triggering of immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. 32

March 2022

Protection against hospital confinement and mortality also reduced from 89 per cent to 42 per cent after six months. December

23,

2021,

study

in Denmark was published on the preprint server medRxiv that showed a statistically significant negative effect of two doses of mRNA vaccines against the Omicron variant. The Denmark study revealed vaccine effectiveness

quickly

reduced

from

around 55 per cent during the first month to no significant effectiveness after one month. Three months after the completion of two doses, effectiveness became significantly negative. “Negative effectiveness” means that people who are fully vaccinated, in line with the present CDC definition of receiving two doses of an mRNA vaccine, and it being two weeks or more after the second dose, are more likely to become infected with COVID-19 than unvaccinated people.

Study

Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease may be delayed by meditation: DST & IIITH Study Supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST) International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) in collaboration with the Neurology Department of Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata conducts the study

Tracy S

A new study, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and conducted by the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) in collaboration with the Neurology Department of Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata, reveals that simple meditation performed at home can alter the brain structure and increase grey matter in patients suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Science

The drugs presently available to treat Alzheimer’s do not possess any disease-modifying effects, but only give temporary relief of symptoms. The severity of impairment often worsens within five years in more than half of MCI patients, leading to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This has prompted researchers to seek alternative options for managing the disease.

the Mediation group were advised to

Dr Amitabha Ghosh, Head of Neurology at Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata and Dr Bapi Raju, Cognitive

area of the brain, which coincided with

Research

Centre

IIITH,

together with researcher Neha Dubey and

Raju’s

students,

Madhukar

Dwivedi and Aditya Jain Pansari to understand the effects of meditation on MCI and early Alzheimer’s patients.

Methods and findings The team assigned patients having MCI or early Alzheimer’s into Meditation and Control groups. Before beginning the

study,

MRI

brain

scans

were

taken from both groups. Patients in meditate at home for 30 minutes each day in a quiet, sitting posture with help of audio instructions from a CD. After six months, both groups again were given MRI brain scans, and the findings revealed that patients in the Meditation group showed a marked increase in cortical thickness and volume of grey matter, particularly in the prefrontal a reduction in thickness in the posterior area of the brain.

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Study

March 2022

Dr Ghosh spoke about two kinds of networks that exist in the brain.

area corroborate the fact that it is this

“One is activated by attention or when focusing on a task, whereas the other takes over when there is no specific task to perform and during ‘mind wandering’,” he said, noting that the latter is part of the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is the network of brain regions active when a person is not consciously focusing on the outside world. Usually, we operate with a continual switch between the two networks.

decisiveness and attaining goals.

“However, in patients with MCI or Alzheimer’s disease, where the networks degenerate, the switch does not always take place as efficiently. Hence you find them losing attention, getting distracted and having memory lapses,” said Dr Ghosh.

neuropsychological assessments, while

Meditation increases one’s focus, causing a conscious disengagement from floating thoughts. The findings of increased grey matter in the frontal

applying for one more grant to make it

area of the brain that involves attention,

The reduced grey matter in the posterior area indicates suppression of some of the nodal regions of the DMN. This study was conducted as part of DST’s Science And Technology of Yoga And Meditation (SATYAM) programme under its Cognitive Science Research Initiative.

Apollo

Multispeciality

Hospital recruited patients according to IIITH carried out image processing and analysis of the brain images. The team intends to follow up this study with a larger number of participants for a longer duration. “We are considering a formal clinical trial so that meditation as an intervention can be registered as a treatment method,” says Dr Bapi.

Interview

Women leaders tend to utilise a more democratic form of leadership Gender diversity in leadership roles is extremely important in healthcare assuming 50 per cent of the patient population is women. Ishiqa Multani, Executive Director, Sagar Group of Hospitals reveals more in interaction with M Neelam Kachhap

Ishiqa Multani Executive Director, Sagar Group of Hospitals

70 per cent of the healthcare workforce is made up of women, but less than 25 per cent are in leadership positions. Is this true for the Indian healthcare sector? Women occupy few leadership positions in the healthcare sector. In an Indian context, I would agree with that assertion. The majority of women in healthcare play a lower-ranking role. Furthermore, as a woman, getting to the highest offices in healthcare takes a lot of work, given that there are more constraining factors that make it challenging for women to climb the ladder of leadership. Many of the C-Suite executives and department heads in healthcare organisations are men. A gender balance across levels is non-existent and will remain elusive unless proactive measures are taken to eliminate the obstacles that keep women from reaching leadership positions. Despite women occupying less than 25 per cent of leadership positions, an increase in numbers is not only possible but imperative for improving the diversity of leadership in the healthcare sector so that the system can realise its full potential for

the benefit of employees and patients. What are the main constraints for women to reach leadership positions in healthcare? There are many constraints keeping women positions

from in

reaching healthcare.

leadership A

primary

restriction is that many organisations are not ready to hire women for top executive positions. Even when they hire women for leadership positions, women tend to be held to higher standards than men. If a male leader commits a mistake, he is bound to receive more grace than a female leader. An additional constraining factor is that women tend to have more family responsibilities that do not allow them the flexibility needed to be leaders in an organisation. In an Indian context, the woman’s domain is the house and the kitchen. Even if women climb up the ladder of leadership, they are still expected to ensure that they do not neglect their household duties which can be mentally and physically taxing. Compared to men, women are much more likely to choose their families over their work, which may keep them away

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Interview

leaders creates a culture of diversity and equity within the organisation. Second, having more female leaders will encourage female employees and attract more qualified women to the organisation.

Third,

employees

are

the most essential intangible resource in

the

organization,

meaning

they

must be managed well and as noted, female leaders tend to perform better as

they

are

thoughtful

and

communicate much better which will improve employee morale, which will affect output. As output increases, the company may get higher revenue and profits in the long run. Your

recommendations

for

equitable healthcare leadership? I would suggest an improvement in organisational

culture.

noted,

company cultures are an issue. Since many

leaders

are

men,

company

from leadership positions. Company

gain the necessary knowledge, skills,

cultures also serve as another barrier.

and attitudes to perform their work

Since many leaders are men, company

effectively.

cultures

male-centric,

leaders tend to be more empathetic,

making it challenging for women to

making them better placed to occupy

reach leadership positions in healthcare

leadership

because the idea that women can be

for a female Chief Experience Officer

leaders is not considered a norm. The

(C.X.O.) it is much easier to empathise

organisation will offer more women

fact that there are few women leaders

with clients and tailor an experience of

greater flexibility to come to work and

also impacts the number of women in

the company’s products or services to

rise the leadership ladder, especially

leadership because women do not have

meet the specific needs of the clientele.

if they have toddlers. Having concrete

other female leaders to whom they can

Empathy is also beneficial in leading

policies written in the company laws will

look up to or reach out to if they desire

employees, making it much easier to

promote equity. Second, more women

mentorship in leadership.

motivate them. Thus, it is safe to say

should be mentored and groomed for

that women leaders perform better,

leadership positions. This can be done

which is why companies should invest

by selecting a few promising women

in female leaders.

with leadership acumen and pairing

tend

Women

leaders

(CEOs,

CXOs)

perform better? Women leaders tend to utilise a more democratic form of leadership. That means they will listen to input from

Additionally,

positions.

For

women

example,

Why should companies invest in female leaders?

cultures tend to be male-centric, making it challenging for women to reach leadership

positions

healthcare.

Company cultures must be created in a manner that encourages more equity in leadership. For example, having a daycare or childcare facility within the

them with a leader in the company who shall serve as their leadership mentor. This will expose more women

and

Gender diversity in leadership roles

to leadership and what it entails,

employees and make decisions based

is extremely important in healthcare

and increase the number of women

on consensus rather than their personal

assuming 50 per cent of the patient

interested in leadership opportunities.

views. On the other hand, male leaders

population

Similarly,

can be more authoritarian, which can

healthcare decisions of a household are

encouraged to apply for leadership

be overbearing for some employees.

generally made by a woman. Having

positions

People

feel

female leaders with an understanding

doing so, the organisation will prepare

more empowered to perform their

of its client base will ensure better

itself for more equitable healthcare

duties than those who work under

decision making. Besides culture will

leadership and will reap the benefits of

male leaders, enabling employees to

also improve since investing in female

having more women in leadership.

experts,

qualified

under

March 2022

personnel,

female

leaders

women.

Also,

the

women

whenever

should

available.

be In

Event Report

Future of pancorona virus vaccine Dr Drew Weissman talks about mutations, mRNA technology, new vaccines and production sites in India at 19th Bio Asia

My biggest hope is its use in gene therapy. Someday, it might be possible to treat genetic diseases like Cystic fibrosis Dr Drew Weissman

The 19th edition of BioAsia recently held a special fireside chat, which witnessed a revolutionary revelation on the future of the coronavirus vaccination by Dr Drew Weissman. In a conversation with Dr Sangita Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals, he elaborated extensively on the pancorona viruses, the state of costs in healthcare, and the future of mRNA in therapeutics. A globally-renowned researcher in mRNA

technology for the rapid development of effective COVID-19 vaccines, Dr Weissman, in collaboration with Dr Katalin Karikó, discovered the ability of modified nucleosides in RNA to suppress activation of the innate immune sensors and increase the translation of the nucleoside-modified mRNA. This outstanding discovery was used in the first two approved COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.

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Event Report

“When you inject mRNA, it kills the

variant. But it is important to note the

tissue due to severe inflammation. But

low life span of these variants to keep

we developed a new type of RNA that

up with this cycle.

is not inflammatory – this RNA used in vaccines is incredibly effective and safe. Over a billion people received the RNA vaccines so far and there have been almost no adverse events," he said

“We are making a pancorona virus vaccine, which will protect against any coronavirus. There have been three coronavirus epidemics in the past 20

during BioAsia 2022.

years and there are going to be more.

Dr Weissman continues to develop other

will stop any coronavirus from infecting

vaccines to induce potent antibody and

humans. We are developing a few and

T-cell

responses

with

So, we want to create a vaccine that

mRNA-based

vaccines. Speaking on the development

they look promising”, he said.

of future vaccines, he said, “We are

The future of mRNA technology is

working on many different vaccines

noted to be tremendously promising,

for a variety of pathogens including

with an array of uses. It can also be

HIV,

influenza,

used in therapeutics. Dr Weissman

and pancorona viruses. We are also

and his lab envision developing mRNA

working on vaccines for food allergies,

therapy for neurologic events, strokes,

cancer vaccines, autoimmune diseases,

embolic events, as a way for reducing

therapeutics and In vivo gene therapy."

inflammation. “My biggest hope is its

HCV,

HSV,

malaria,

Dr Sangita Reddy touched base on the immediate next big scare – COVID’s next mutation after Delta and Omicron. Dr

use in gene therapy. Someday, it might be possible to treat genetic diseases like Cystic fibrosis," he told.

Weissman observed that coronavirus

like any other RNA virus is prone to a

optimistic outlook for India in terms of

lot of mutations.

collaborations to build mRNA production

“The variants are going to keep coming

sites. In his closing remarks, he voiced

as long as there’s widespread infection.

strongly against the misinformation on

We have only vaccinated 15 per cent of

vaccines.

Africa and we’ve immunised low levels

He further added, “On a societal and

of many countries in the world. Until the world is fully vaccinated, the virus will continue to mutate," he stated.

Weissman

also

indicated

systematic level, equality of therapeutics is important. Cost being the main problem,

government

and

privately

There are two options here, observes

funded research can magnanimously

Dr Weissman, you can keep making

help in bringing down costs and make it

new vaccines every time there is a new

accessible across the world."

March 2022

Dr Sangita Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals

The Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape Remote working has increased cyberthreats. But even after the global pandemic is over, it’s going to be important to take actionable steps to combat the sizable security risks.

Customized MVISION Device-to-Cloud Suites MVISION Advanced

MVISION Premium

MVISION Complete

We Recommend:

Implement a cloud-based secure web gateway

1 2 3 4 5 6

Require multi-factor authentication to reduce risks of credential theft

Set policy in the cloud for routine device checks

https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/assets/reports/restricted/rp-carr-wfh.pdf https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/assets/reports/restricted/rp-carr-wfh.pd Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cloud/as-cloud-adoption-grows-dlp-remains-key-challenge/d/d-id/1335000 https://newsroom.ibm.com/2020-07-29-IBM-Report-Compromised-Employee-Accounts-Led-to-Most-Expensive-Data-Breaches-Over-Past-Year https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/is-the-cloud-secure/ https://media.nominet.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/12130924/Nominet-Cyber_CISO-report_FINAL-130219.pdf

8 https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/assets/reports/rp-cloud-adoption-and-risk-report-work-from-home-edition.pdf McAfee and the McAfee logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of McAfee, LLC or its subsidiaries in the US and other countries. Other marks and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Copyright © 2020 McAfee, LLC. 4619_0920 SEPTEMBER 2020

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