FEATURE India's initiation into western medicine Genomics and Big Data Analytics in Ayurvedic Medicine Growth of Jaipur's Health Sector Why Amazon Bought One Medical
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Mentioning the Royal Hospital, Goa that was founded by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510, to the East India Company that paved the way for the Indian Medical services (IMS), to the first medical schools
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The August issue also throws light on Amazon’s plans to fork out $3.9 billion to acquire US healthcare company One Medica; on how Imperial researchers have built a new easy-to-use test that could diagnose non-infectious diseases like heart attacks and cancers more quickly; India’s initiation into western medicine and genomics and Big Data Analytics in Ayurvedic Medicine.
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India's healthcare industry has gone through many ups and downs in the last 75 years since its Independence. While we celebrate the 75th year of Indian Independence, IndiaMed Today delves deep into the glorious past of modern medicine. Our team took the effort to look back at the past to trace the development of healthcare services in India and bring in many untold stories.
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August 2022 CONTENTS www.indiamedtoday.com CHECKIT OUT ONLINE CONNECT WITH US Join the conversation with IndiaMedToday through our social media pages LinkedinFacebookTwitter UPFRONT APPROACHCOVERFEATURESTORY IMPACT Genomics and Big Data Analytics in Ayurvedic Medicine India's initiation into western DayIndependencemedicineSpecialIssue Growth of Jaipur's Health Sector2026 03 Editorial 05 Letters 06 News Roundup 33 Innovate 36 Pulse 16 30 4 August 2022
Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science
of older people. However, much more needs to be done. One-third of the world’s population remains unvaccinated, including twothirds of health workers and three-quarters of older adults in lowincome countries.
Due to several concrete efforts by the Government of India, the country witnessed a doubling of the nursing workforce – from 0.8 nurses per 1000 population in 2000 to 1.7 in 2020. However, this number is still less than the WHO norm of 3 nurses per 1000 population, creating a need for systemic reforms.
Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary
It’s especially pleasing to see that coverage of high-priority groups is improving, with many countries making impressive progress towards vaccinating 100% of health workers and 100%
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
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Union Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal
Letters www.indiamedtoday.com 5
With ABDM, we aim to encourage innovations by streamlining the delivery of health tech services in a significant way. We plan to develop a framework to ensure that ABDM-compliant digital healthcare solutions are accredited and rated and to ensure adequate information is available to consumers for choosing one solution over another.
Dr RS Sharma, CEO, NHA
essons from India’s fight against the pandemic can serve as valuable beacons in our targeted policies for prevention and treatment of Cancer. Any initiative related to cancer control and management cannot be implemented in silos but needs to be taken up with "whole of govt and whole of society" approach as has been our learning from management of the pandemic, since the issue is cross-cutting across various government and non-government management spheres
The Indian traditional medicinal practices have been proving their effect on the enrichment of human lives over many centuries. We intend to make these two institutions – Regional Research Institute of Homoeopathy (RRIH) & Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine (RRIUM) into Centres of Excellence for Allergic Disorder and Regimental Therapy respectively. Plans are already afoot, at the behest of the Ministry of Ayush, towards this end.
Despite advances in integrative medicine, long-term care including post-acute care of the elderly is a universal challenge. With increasing life expectancy, it is also crucial to ensure the healthy ageing of the population.
L
Dr T Dileep Kumar, President, Indian Nursing Council
Mylab Discovery Solutions, India’s leading
News Roundup 6
SPARSH Group of Hospitals has unveiled a series of initiatives as a part of its technology adoption and digital transformation journey. The newly introduced Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology allows surgeons to reproduce precise bone cuts for patients, every single time, first on a virtual 3D model and then in the operation theatre. In case of a knee
National Medical Commission (NMC) has advised all medical colleges and institutions to install cameras. This move comes a day after the government said it did not need a new law to punish attackers on medical professionals. The cameras to be installed are at the main entrance of the hospital and college, the patient registration counter, OPDs, preanaesthesia areas, the faculty lounge and attendance marking area, lecture theatres, anatomy dissection hall, physiology labs, biochemistry UG labs, patho and microbiology labs, pharmacology lab, patient attendant waiting area, emergency and casualty ward.
or hip surgery, Mako System’s software helps create a 3D model of the diseased joint based on the patient’s CT scan.
At Torrent Power, Mehta was involved at a challenging point in the business journey and was instrumental in bringing about a customer orientation transformation
Ayush Building Complex opens in Navi Mumbai
Aman Mehta
SPARSH Hospital unveils Mako assistedrobotic-armsurgeryfor joint replacement
AstraZeneca India announced the launch of the Chronic Kidney Disease Academy, in collaboration with the largest professional organization of nephrologists in India –the Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN). This academy will offer module-based learning for clinicians to enable them to provide better kidney care to their patients. The training programme aims to cover the pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis, complications and management of CKD. The announcement comes after the partnership agreed between both organisations earlier this year on World Kidney Day, to create public awareness about kidney care and related health disorders, build education at the primary care physician level on early diagnosis, prompt management and aid nationwide screening for at-risk patients and the general public to promote timely detection and holistic management.
Aman Mehta is appointed as Director on the Board of Torrent Pharma from August 1, 2022. Mehta is an MBA from Columbia University, New York, and a Bachelor of Economics from Boston University, Boston.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal during the inauguration of Ayush Building Complex
within the distribution business and also made a noteworthy contribution to enhancing efficiency in operations.
AstraZeneca collaborates with Indian Society of Nephrology
August 2022
During his tenure with Torrent, he has worked in both Power and Pharma Sectors.
Built over an area of 1999.82 square metres with a constructed area of 5860 square meters, this three-storied building complex was constructed by the City & Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO).
NMC advises medical colleges, institutions to install cameras in premises
Mylab innovationlaunchescentre for diagnostics
Torrent Pharma appoints Aman Mehta as Director of Board
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated an Ayush Building Complex at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai. This new infrastructure will house the Regional Research Institute of Homoeopathy (RRIH), under the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) and the Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine (RRIUM) under the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM).
LV Prasad Eye Institute bags award at World Eye Bank Symposium
Opening of advanced Innovation Centre for diagnostics in Pune
SRAM & MRAM partners with healthEnterprisesMedmokktodiversifyportfolio
HealthPlix Technologies announced the release of its new feature – ‘Drug to Drug Interaction’ (DDI). DDI is an intuitive feature that sits on the HealthPlix EMR to help doctors recall molecule-to-molecule interactions at the time of care. The feature is live on the HealthPlix platform and optimised for prompting these interactions while the doctor prescribes the medicines to their patients. Currently, doctors rely on support from external websites/ platforms to understand these interactions which add to the total time taken to write prescriptions. With HealthPlix, doctors stand to benefit from the information being made available to them within the HealthPlix EMR.
Vice President of India and Chairman of
Sun Pharma in license and supply agreement with Cosmo Pharma
HealthPlix EMR launches interactive Interaction’‘Drug-Drug
biotech company, announced the opening of India’s most advanced Innovation Centre for diagnostics in Pune. ‘Mylab Global Innovation Centre’ was inaugurated by Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla, CMD, Serum Institute of India. It is the only centre in India that will develop and commercialise pioneering diagnostic innovations in diverse fields including molecular, serology, immunology, automation, robotics, AI-based diagnostic solutions, devices and biosensors. This futuristic centre aims to drive cutting-edge research and advance impactful solutions to address healthcare challenges for Indian and international markets.
UK-based, global conglomerate, SRAM & MRAM Group have announced their collaboration with Hyderabad-based, healthcare R&D company, Medmokk Enterprises. With the pact in place, the joint venture will work extensively in the Healthcare domain. The group will be investing in the R&D and expansion of the current portfolio. Medmokk is a leading R&D company involved in the Healthcare industry with a specific focus on General Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Allied activities. They are the producers of Aquaox Solution and Dhvani, a lowcost hearing device. Recently, Medmokk introduced India’s first, patented ‘Oral health Remote Screening Device.’
LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has been honoured with the GAEBA’s Inaugural National Award in recognition of its well-established eye bank network
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Cassiopea, a subsidiary of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals announced the signing of addendums to the License and Supply Agreements for WINLEVI (clascoterone) cream 1 per cent expanding the territory to include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico and Russia. In 2021, Sun Pharma and Cassiopea signed License and supply agreements for the US and Canada markets. Sun Pharma launched WINLEVI in the US market in November 2021.
The Vice-President during his talk on hepatitis
VP Venkaiah Naidu sensitises parliamentarians on hepatitis
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Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu along with Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla chaired an event to sensitise the parliamentarians on hepatitis on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2022. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare apprised the audience on the situation of hepatitis in the country and explained the need to rapidly eliminate the disease.
and work done through eye banking towards addressing corneal blindness in the country. The award dedicated to celebrating the achievements of the eye bank sector was announced at the World Eye Bank Symposium. It is the first time that the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations (GAEBA) have offered this award.
News Roundup
Vaccines alone aren’t enough to combat AMR: WHO report
Merck’s applicationmicrobiologylabopens in Jigani, Bengaluru
8 August 2022
ART Fertility Clinics appoints Dr Somesh Mittal as CEO, India
Merck announced the opening of its first Microbiology Application and Training (MAT) Lab in Jigani, Bengaluru, offering facilities and technical expertise to support the Indian life science community on microbial quality control capability development. With an investment of €200,000, the MAT Centre spans an area size of 1,100 sqft. The testing services offered in the Lab include sterility testing, rapid bioburden testing, pyrogen testing, advance membrane filtration and other pharma QC microbiology applications. The MAT Lab includes a vibrant space for certified training, application support, feasibility studies and method development for Pharma and Biopharma industries.
Dr Somesh Mittal
The Vietnam delegation
Fujifilm Corporation announced the opening of two new NURA health screening centres focussing on cancer and lifestyle diseases screening in India. The new NURA centres will open in Gurugram on July 21 this year, and in Mumbai in September of the same year. The NURA
Multiple backed Vikram Hospital as CEO and was associated with Fortis Escorts Heart Institute as zonal director. He is also an alumnus of the University of Delhi’s Faculty of Management Studies.
ART Fertility Clinics, India announced the appointment of Dr Somesh Mittal as their Chief Executive Officer (CEO), India. Dr Mittal has previously managed
Vietnam has invited Indian pharmaceutical companies to invest in its 600-hectare pharmaceutical park. This information was given by Duong Duc Anh, Vice Consul, DCM, Consulate General of Vietnam in Mumbai.
The Commerce Ministry data analysed by the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) has shown that the imports of medical devices are up by a record 41 per cent at Rs 63,200 crore in 2021-22 from Rs 44,708 crore in 2020-21. Speaking on the rise in imports of medical devices, Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) said, “NITI Aayog and the Department of Pharmaceuticals recognises that Indian manufacturers have a 12-15 per cent disability factor in manufacturing medical devices in India. We urge the government to neutralise this disability for reduction of medical device imports in India as was in the case of consumer electronics, including mobile phones and even in the toy industry.”
Fujifilm Corporation launches two NURA health centres in Gurugram, Mumbai
Vietnam invites Indian pharma cos to invest in 600 hectare park
A recent report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccines as ‘highly effective tools in combating AMR.’ Despite their efficacy, the financial risks and approval processes for vaccine development continue to restrict their use as an immediate solution to the AMR crisis. It was concluded that short-term solutions to prevent resistance must focus on interventions other than vaccines, highlighting the importance of research and investment in other methods of control, including effective infection prevention.
The event was held jointly by MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai with All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and Invest Global, which is a Vietnam-based trade, investment and tourism promotion body.
Import of medical devices up by 41 per cent in FY22: AiMeD
The Metaverse Standards Forum brings together leading standards organisations and companies for industry-wide cooperation on interoperability standards needed to build the open metaverse. Hosted by Khronos Group, the forum’s founding members include Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Adobe, Alibaba, Epic Games, Unity, the World Web Consortium, and the XR Association (XRA). Indegene joined the forum as a Principal Member.
Mykare Health to increase headcountemployeeby25per cent
Indegene, a technology-led healthcare solutions provider, announced that it joined The Metaverse Standards Forum to foster interoperability within healthcarecontextualized open metaverse standards.
diploma holder from Symbiosis Centre of Healthcare in Pune. He has an experience of two decades in the hospital business.
Indegene joins The Metaverse Standards Forum
Terumo India, the Indian arm of Terumo Corporation, a global leader in medical technology, announced that it has signed a partnership with Sensible Medical Innovations, the market leader in medical radar monitoring and imaging technology (ReDS), that grants it exclusive distribution rights for ReDS Pro and knowledgesharing of ReDS technology in India. ReDS Pro is used to measure the absolute lung fluid volume in patients, which has strong correlation with symptoms of Coronary Heart Failure (CHF).
Launch of Nura Health Centre in Gurugram
Simmardeep Singh Gill
AVISA onboards first green energy Hospital, Mann Mediciti
Mykare Health, a tech-enabled full-stack healthcare company is expanding its operations in India while increasing the employee headcount by 25 per cent. The startup plans to hire across the healthcare sector at every level, to fuel its expansion in pan-Indian cities. Additionally, Mykare Health has recently opened offices in Kolkata, Siliguri, Tripura, and Dhaka, Bangladesh to extend its reach into North East India and Bangladesh.
Sterling Hospitals has appointed former Fortis Healthcare executive Simmardeep Singh Gill as its managing director and chief executive officer. Gill, currently the CEO of CK Birla Hospitals, is likely to take charge at Sterling Hospitals as MD and CEO from next month. Gill is an MBBS graduate from Assam University and a postgraduate
Unlocking the potential of connected healthcare in India, an independent report on technology solutions to ease critical gaps in the healthcare infrastructure of the country was recently released. The study revealed that automating patient monitoring through Dozee-connected beds in non-ICU wards in public hospitals can address the shortage of ICU beds, doctors and nursing staff in India. At the same time, it can deliver higher patient safety, improved clinical outcomes and considerable cost savings, estimated at Rs 2150 crore per annum. This study was conducted by Sattva Consulting in collaboration with Dozee, India’s first contactless Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Company.
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Sterling SinghappointsHospitalsSimmardeepGillasMDandCEO
centre is equipped with Fujifilm’s various medical devices including a CT scan and mammography system, as well as an AIbased medical IT system that provides interpretation assistance to doctors, offering Japanese-style high-quality health screening services to residents and employees of nearby companies / medical facilities.
Terumo India in partnership with Sensible Medical Innovations
Connected beds in nonICU hospital wards can save over Rs 2150 Cr per year in India: Study
Leading health-tech startup Avisa Smart Hospitals has now announced an association with NABH-certified Mann Mediciti, a completely solar-powered Green Energy hospital based in Jalandhar, Punjab. The transformed Avisa Mann Mediciti Hospital offers an all-new patient care model so that those seeking treatment at the healthcare centre receive special care, supervision and eventually the best treatment through AVISA.
Eka Care raises $15 M in Series A round
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi (RGCI) have installed the first-ever Made-in-India surgical robotic system, SSI-Mantra, devised by the new-age Indian med-tech start-up SS Innovations. The ingenious SSI Mantra, a brainchild of robotic cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir P Srivastava, will be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India, making robotic surgery accessible and affordable for the people of our country.
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), a premier global management institute, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lal PathLabs Foundation – the CSR arm of Dr Lal PathLabs to set up the ‘Dr Lal Pathlabs Chair in Healthcare’. The MoU was signed by Professor Errol D’ Souza, Director, IIMA and Dr Om Manchanda, IIMA alumnus, MD, Dr Lal PathLabs and Trustee Lal PathLabs Foundation, at the institute’s campus. The Chair has been set up for an initial period of three years and has been facilitated by the IIMA Endowment Fund.
Pfizer India partners with Max Super Speciality Hospitals
IIMA, Lal FoundationPathlabscollaborate to set up a Research Chair in Healthcare
Dr Richa Jagtap, Dr Parul Katiyar join ART Fertility Clinics as Co-Medical Directors
Eka Care, a healthcare technology company for managing health profiles has raised $15 million in Series A led by Hummingbird Ventures with participation from 3one4Capital, Mirae Assets, Verlinvest, Aditya Birla Ventures, Binny Bansal, Rohit MA and other investors. The company plans to use the recently raised capital for product development, hiring, educating consumers on the benefits of maintaining a health profile and helping doctors move to digital practice.
Private equity firm Tata Capital’s second healthcare fund has invested in Chennaibased Anderson Diagnostic Services, according to sources. Financial specifics were not disclosed. This investment will be the company’s second diagnostics bet from its new fund. Founded in 2088, Anderson Diagnostic, focuses on oncology, clinical genetics and foetal medicine.
ART Fertility Clinics announced the appointment of two co-medical directors, Dr Richa Jagtap and Dr Parul Katiyar for its India operations. Dr Jagtap has been a popular name in the field of treating infertility and she owns multiple international fellowships on her name. Dr Katiyar is also an infertility expert and has dedicated her decades of experience in evidence-based treatment to patients.
Phable announced the appointment of Sanil Bhatia as Sr Vice President – Revenue. With this appointment, Phable focuses on strengthening its fullstack and value-driven chronic disease management offerings and accelerating market expansion to create India’s first comprehensive healthcare ecosystem to assist patients in better managing their condition.
The MoU was signed by Professor Errol D’ Souza, Director, IIMA and Dr Om Manchanda, IIMA alumnus, MD, Dr Lal PathLabs and Trustee Lal PathLabs Foundation, at the institute’s campus
Phable hires Sanil Bhatia as Senior Vice President –Revenue
Pfizer India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Max Super Specialty Hospitals to give fellowships to young doctors in 17 Max Hospitals to gather real-world evidence on drug efficacy and proven therapies from existing electronic patient records. This evidence generation will focus on the prevention, treatment and management of diseases that are of public health priority in India, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. The bespoke fellowships will be a form of recognition and will enable young clinicians who want to pursue medical research to do so with clear goals in place.
Sanil Bhatia
News Roundup
10 August 2022
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute installs Madein-India surgical robotic system
Tata Capital invests in Chennai-based Anderson Diagnostic Services
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Syngene in 10-year biologics agreementmanufacturingwithZoetis
Raaj Venkatesan
NanoMosaic appoints Raaj Venkatesan as its CRO
Syngene International announced the signing of a 10-year agreement with a leading animal health company, Zoetis, to manufacture the drug substance for Librela (bedinvetmab), a first-in-class monoclonal antibody used for treating osteoarthritis in dogs. Syngene’s collaboration with Zoetis started in 2011. Over the past 11 years, Syngene has undertaken development work on several monoclonal antibodies for use in animal health, including developing and manufacturing clinical supplies of treatment for allergic or atopic dermatitis, now widely used, and Librela.
nanoneedle (MosaicNeedle) technology detection for proteomics, genomics, and single-run experiment multiomics applications, has announced the appointment of Raaj Venkatesan as its Chief Regulatory Officer. Venkatesan brings more than 17 years of experience in regulatory affairs, regulatory compliance and quality engineering in the medical device and In Vitro Diagnostics industry.
Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, announced a definitive agreement to acquire BASE life science, leading technology and consulting firm in the life sciences industry, in Europe. The acquisition reaffirms the commitment to helping global life sciences companies realise business value from cloud-first digital platforms and data to speed-up clinical trials and scale drug development, positively impacting lives and achieving better health outcomes. BASE brings to Infosys, domain experts with commercial, medical, digital marketing, clinical, regulatory, and quality know-how.
Strand Life Sciences presents surveillancegenomicreport of SARS-CoV-2 in Bengaluru
Dr Ashwath Narayan CN, Minister of Higher Education, IT & BT, Govt of Karnataka unveiling the report
MedGenome Labs launches clonoSEQ Assay in India
Lupin Diagnostics has launched its first reference laboratory in Ranchi. The new reference laboratory at Ranchi is equipped to conduct a broad spectrum of routine and specialised tests in the fields of molecular diagnostics, cytogenetics, flow cytometry, histopathology, cytology, microbiology, serology, haematology, immunology, and routine biochemistry. Lupin Diagnostics will equip doctors with accurate diagnoses in the patient journey by leveraging innovative technologies for improved patient care. People in Jharkhand can now avail preventive health check-ups, home collection and testing centres at 10 locations.
Boston-based biotech company NanoMosaic, the pioneer and leader in Lupin Diagnostics launches first reference lab in Ranchi
Infosys to acquire life sciences consulting and technology leader, BASE life science
Strand Life Sciences presented insights from its COVID-19 genomic surveillance initiative of sequencing 12,800 SARSCoV-2 samples in Bengaluru. RTPCR +ve samples were collected between July, 2021 and June, 2022 from various laboratories in Bengaluru, Karnataka, with due permissions from BBMP. These samples were then sequenced and analysed for variants and strains at Strand’s laboratories, and the findings were conveyed to the Karnataka State and BBMP public health officials in conjunction with INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium) labs like InStem, the key stakeholders for this project.
MedGenome announced it is offering Adaptive Biotechnologies’ next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based clonoSEQ Assay to assess minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). MRD is described as the number of very small cancer cells that remain in the body during or after treatment. The number of remaining cells can be so small that they do not show any physical signs or symptoms and often can go undetected through traditional methods. The clonoSEQ test may effectively detect and monitor MRD in patients with certain types of blood cancer. It helps to detect MRD even at low levels offering a prognostic value to clinicians, helping them to assess how patients respond to treatment or if any change in disease management is required.
ingredient (API) plant at the company’s site in Aurora, Ontario. The new plant, built as part of a CAD $30 million capital investment in the Aurora site, features more than 10000 square feet of new manufacturing space and includes two new reactor suites with additional filtration and drying capabilities. It will support ongoing customer demand for Piramal Pharma Solutions’ expertise in APIs and enhances and expands the company’s ability to produce clinical to commercial scale APIs, including highly potent APIs requiring an Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) of 1mcg/m3.
Ritesh Mittal
News Roundup
SRL Diagnostics has launched ‘Fatty Liver Index’; a first-line diagnostic test for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fatty Liver Index (FLI) is an algorithm-based index that includes multiple parameters; results of GGT test liverformasstriglycerides(gamma-glutamyl-transferase),test(TG),weight,height,bodyindex(BMI)andwaistcircumferencethepredictionofNon-alcoholicfattydisease(NAFLD).
Pristine Biologicals NZ, a subsidiary of Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), has inaugurated a new facility in Dargaville today for the production of sterile-filtered serum. The facility was inaugurated by Meenesh C Shah, Chairman of Indian Immunologicals and National Dairy Development Board, in the presence of Dr Jason Smith, the Mayor of Dargaville, Dr K Anand Kumar, MD, IIL, Dr Vijay Dasari, GM and Director, Pristine Biologicals (NZ) and many dignitaries. The requirement for bovine serum from New Zealand for use in biologics manufacture has gone up many folds and to meet the demands of the world markets, it is important to augment the capacities and also bring in more value-added products, the company feels.
HEAPS.ai appoints Ritesh Mittal as Head of Strategy and Customer Success for Provider Network
SRL Diagnostics launches Fatty Liver Index
Launch of serum manufacturing facility in New Zealand
Pristyn Care has announced its plans to increase its employee strength by 20 per cent by 2023. Pristyn Care has already been hiring across departments such as medical operations, patient care and safety, medical directorate, med-tech, digital marketing, product development, and technology. The next few months will also see 200+ doctors, super-speciality surgeons, and medical experts being onboarded. Currently, 400+ in-house surgeons are treating over 50+ diseases across the country. It has created 20,000 healthcare jobs, including nursing and paramedical staff in its empanelled hospitals and clinics across 40+ cities. The company’s hiring plans align with its mission to expand its footprint and presence into Tier II, and Tier III markets in India.
AI-driven Health-Tech B2B SaaS Platform, Heaps Health Solutions has appointed Ritesh Mittal as the Head of Strategy and Customer Success – Provider Network. He brings in 14 years of rich experience in healthcare delivery and has previously worked with Paras Healthcare and Medanta-the Medicity. He has held various roles spanning growth strategy, P&L leadership and core hospital operations. He is an alumnus of Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from where he graduated with honours.
Pristyn Care to increase its headcount by 2023
Piramal Pharma Solutions officially inaugurated a new active pharmaceutical
12 August 2022
Pristine Biologicals NZ opens manufacturingserumfacility in Dargaville, New Zealand
Piramal Pharma Solutions launches API plant at Aurora, Canada
Digital Health platform MFine and LifeCell International, India’s leading stem cell bank and reproductive genetic testing services provider, announced a strategic joint venture whereby LifeCell’s diagnostics business and MFine will merge to form a new entity called LifeWell. Additionally, the entity has secured $ 80M investment from OrbiMed, a leading healthcare investment firm with approximately $ 18B in assets under management. LifeWell expects to
Piramal Pharma announced the addition of Peter Stevenson, Nathalie Leitch and Sridhar Gorthi to the board of directors. These new appointments, which come ahead of the planned de-merger of PPL from Piramal Enterprises (PEL), will assist in maintaining high governance for the new listed corporate entity. The appointments will add to the well-diversified experience that currently exists on the PPL board. Led by Chairperson Nandini Piramal and Piramal Global Pharma CEO Peter DeYoung, the Piramal Pharma board also includes leaders such as S Ramadorai, Neeraj Bhardwaj, Jairaj Purandare and Vivek Valsaraj.
MyHealthcare launches India’s first single-screen EMR
GE Healthcare has launched its 5G Innovation Lab in India, the first for GE Healthcare across the globe. Situated at the John F. Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) Bengaluru, GE Healthcare’s largest R&D centre outside of the US, the lab will serve as a testbed to develop future-ready products and solutions, turning a new corner in innovation. It houses state-ofthe-art infrastructure, including a private 5G network for testing and development. It provides expertise as well as a platform for a collaborative ecosystem for academia, the healthcare industry, and startups, facilitating exploration and enabling validation and qualification of 5G-enabled Precision Healthcare use cases.
Genes2Me, one of India’s leading IVD manufacturers, ahas developed the RealTime PCR-based kit for quick detection of
GE 5G Innovation Lab opens in Bengaluru
Metropolis Healthcare announced the launch of Metropolis Innovation Cell focusing on molecular genomics, super speciality pathology and companion diagnostics. Under Innovation Cell, Metropolis is introducing various specialized tests related to pregnancy, cancer, infectious diseases and transplant management.
Genes2Me
MFine, LifeCell announce JV to form LifeWell
Glenmark launches acne gel MINYM
www.indiamedtoday.com 13 RT-PCR kit
serve more than 50 Million users over the next four years.
Metropolis Healthcare establishes Innovation Cell
(L-R) Peter Stevenson, Sridhar Gorthi and Nathalie Leitch
Monkeypox virus with a fast turnaround result time of less than 50 minutes. This kit is available in both the standard version for any commonly available Real Time PCR instruments as well as Point-of-Care format on Genes2Me Rapi-Q HT Rapid RTPCR device. The Point-of-Care solution can be used for screening at multiple sites including Hospitals, Airports, Diagnostic Labs, Health Camps, etc.
MonkeypoxRT-PCR-basedlauncheskitforVirus
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has launched India’s first topical Minocycline 4 per cent gel for the treatment of moderate to severe acne, under the brand name MINYM. This is a potent anti-bacterial gel which exerts a strong anti-inflammatory action It also offers the lowest MIC90 (minimum Inhibitory Concentration at which it stops/prevents visible growth of 90 per cent of isolates of bacteria) compared to the available topical antibacterial formulations.
MyHealthcare has announced the launch of India’s first single-screen EMR, a system that allows doctors, and clinicians to enter all medical records of a patient encounter on a single screen. The system aims to help doctors experience a more efficient and painless approach to delivering value-based care by offering an EMR platform that promises fewer clicks, faster workflows, and the ability to truly work on one screen. The Single Screen EMR has been built with a high level of configuration that allows doctors to design their process workflows with a click of a button while treating patients in multiple scenarios be it in an OPD or virtually.
Piramal Pharma inducts Peter Stevenson, Nathalie Leitch and Sridhar Gorthi to its board
Holborn Wells India has developed a real-time PCR kit for the detection of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in response to the recent spread of the virus in various countries. The test has been developed in coordination with Holborn Wells, UK.
Biocon Biologics, a subsidiary of Biocon has received an EU GMP certificate from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), Ireland, for its new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) drug substance manufacturing facility (B3) at Biocon Park, Bengaluru, following a GMP inspection in April 2022. The facility, spread across 340,000-square feet, will enhance its capabilities manifold to manufacture drug substances of the mAbs portfolio and will enable us to serve patients across the globe. This integrated, multiproduct facility houses manufacturing suites, analytical testing laboratories and warehousing. Upon successful completion and qualification in 2021, it was awarded the Facility of the Year Award (FOYA) with an Honorable Mention, by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).”
communities and their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the winners of the ‘Waterfalls Global Award’ for health organisations and individuals, at Qasr Al Bahr Majlis, as a special honour.
IIT Madras researchers develop AI Tool towards personalised cancer diagnosis
Mylab Discovery Solutions and Portland, OR-based Hemex Health, a medical diagnostic device company focussed on creating diagnostics to transform frontline healthcare, announced the official launch of the Gazelle PathoCatch COVID-19 FIA test, their collaborative diagnostic solution for point-of-care (POC) testing in India. This portable, lightweight test detects all COVID-19 variants in 20 seconds with 99.4 per cent accuracy compared to the gold standard, PCR. The diagnostic is currently under review with US FDA for Emergency Use Authorization and will launch in Africa and the Middle East later this summer.
TCG Lifesciences (TCGLS) is a global CRO and CDMO company with operations in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Richmond, VA, and Princeton, NJ, has opened a new R&D facility in Pune,
as part of a major expansion. Pune with its proximity to Mumbai and Gujarat offers a great ecosystem of talents, scientific institutions, and relevant industry players which TCGLS plans to leverage to build a major presence there. It is taking up approximately 100,000 sq ft of space to build a comprehensive discovery services centre.
OMRON Healthcare unveils molecularmedicalsieve oxygen concentrator
OMRON Healthcare has announced its latest advancement in the oxygen therapy category with the launch of a portable oxygen concentrator. It is a medical molecular sieve-based oxygen concentrator providing a continuous supply of high purity oxygen (5L per minute) with more than 90 per cent high concentration output. The product is designed to aid the homecare providers when managing the therapy and lifestyle needs of nearly all patients with COPD and respiratory problems.
Apollo Hospitals Enterprises was awarded the prestigious UAE Waterfalls Global Award for the services rendered to humanity during the pandemic period. The UAE Waterfalls award instituted at the behest of Sheikh Mohammed in November 2021, is the UAE’s global contribution to honouring front liners in appreciation of their vital role, humanitarian services and sacrifices for the sake of protecting
Holborn Wells India's monkey pox RT PCR detection kit
Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital For Children released the inaugural issue of the ‘Wadia Journal of Women and Child Health.’ This is an endeavour to impart knowledge to peers and bring out good research and original articles in the field of Women and Child Health. This journal will be released once in four months in the English language.
News Roundup
Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for children launches The Wadia Journal Of Women And Child Health
Hemex Health, Mylab Discovery Solutions launch Gazelle PathoCatch COVID-19 FIA Test
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) researchers have developed an artificial Intelligence-based tool, ‘PIVOT’, that can predict cancer-causing genes in an individual. This tool will ultimately help in devising personalised cancer treatment strategies. ‘PIVOT,’ developed by IIT Madras researchers, is designed to predict genes that are responsible for causing cancer in an individual. The prediction is based on a model that utilises information on mutations, expression of genes, and copy number variation in genes and perturbations in the biological network due to an altered gene expression.
Biocon Biologics receives EU GMP certification for biologics manufacturing facility in Bengaluru
Holborn Wells India develops monkey pox RT PCR detection kit
14 August 2022
TCG Lifesciences opens R&D facility in Pune
Apollo Hospitals Group receives UAE Waterfalls Global Award for health care professionals’
Recognising her contribution towards furthering the growth of Ayurveda in India and abroad, the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences (ITSappg) conferred the Ayurveda Ratna award on Dr Tanuja Nesari, Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Ayush. Dr Nesari has been honoured for her exceptional service of the highest order for the promotion of Ayurveda by an ITSappg committee represented by dignitaries including Amarjeet S Bhamra, Ambassador for Ayurveda and Yoga in Great Britain; Virendra Sharma, MP, UK Parliament and Chair, ITSappg; and Bob Blackman, MP, UK Parliament and Chair, ITSappg.
Dr Tanuja Nesari bags Ayurveda Ratna Award
Namitesh Roy Choudhury has assumed the role of Vice Chairman and Managing Director of LANXESS India. He also takes on the responsibility of Region Head for India. In this new role, he will represent the businesses of LANXESS India to the global organisation and will report to Dr Anno Borkowsky, member of the Board of Management and head of all the four regions, globally. Roy Choudhury has been the Executive Director since October 1, 2021, and Vice President, Industrial & Environmental Affairs for LANXESS India since 2007. He moved to the LANXESS India organization in 2004 after the carveout from Bayer as the Head of Production, Technology, Safety & Environment (PTSE) and Capital Investment.
Aurigene Discovery Technologies has announced a drug discovery, development and commercialisation partnership with EQRx. The collaboration combines Aurigene’s small molecule drug discovery platform and EQRx’s pioneering business model to accelerate the development of drug candidates in the areas of oncology and immune-inflammatory diseases and improve global access to innovative medicines. Under the terms of the
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin unveiled the Life Sciences Promotion Policy and Research and Development Policy aiming to transform the state into an attractive destination for
manufacturers in Life Sciences to invest, innovate and create life sciences products. The R&D policy aims to transform Tamil Nadu into a knowledge-based economy by 2030, driving manufacturing and service excellence. Life Sciences include a range of more specific scientific fields like microbiology, zoology, biochemistry, cell biology, evolutionary biology, anatomy, biophysics, epidemiology, marine biology, genetics, botany and ecology.
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GOQii, SRL Diagnostics in partnership for lifestyle, health programmesmanagement
Aurigene partnershipcommercialisationdiscovery,TechnologiesDiscoveryindrugdevelopment,withEQRx
Orange Health forays into New Delhi
collaboration agreement, Aurigene and EQRx will collaborate on drug discovery, pre-clinical and clinical development and commercialisation. Aurigene will lead drug discovery and pre-clinical development efforts, and EQRx will assume responsibility for clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialisation efforts.
All India Institute of Ayurveda’s Director
The Meghalaya government is planning to build 75 new health centres in remote areas that will be resilient to extreme weather conditions, officials said. Most health centres in far-flung areas of the state are susceptible to the variability of climate, affecting the well-being of patients, auxiliary nurses, and midwives who run and manage the facilities. The state government has entrusted Sauramandala Foundation for capacity building and designs while Selco Foundation will be the technical partner for the project. The designs will be such that the structures will be resilient to extreme cold, heavy winds, earthquakes, and landslides.
Namitesh Roy Choudhury
Meghalaya to build 75 climate-resilient health centres
GOQii has entered into a strategic partnership with SRL one of the leading diagnostic companies for disease and lifestyle management programmes. The strategic partnership between GOQii and SRL Diagnostics will extend to where SRL Diagnostics will be the diagnostic partner for all tests booked by the patient through the GOQii App & specifically the HbA1c tests for the GOQii Diabetes Care programme.
Tamil Nadu CM unveils Life Sciences Promotion and Research and Development Policy
Namitesh Roy Choudhury joins LANXESS as Vice Chairman and MD for India region
Health tech startup Orange Health has launched its services in New Delhi as part of its ambitious geographical expansion plan. With this launch, customers across the NCR region including Gurgaon, Noida, Delhi and Ghaziabad can now avail a wide range of diagnostic services in just 60 minutes from the comfort of their homes, with reports in six hours.
Feature
Dr Anshu, Department of Pathology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha
The bright spots for medicine during colonial times were the initiation of public health measures, vaccination, and the elevation of tropical diseases to a special area of study
Dr Avinash Supe, Dean, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai
In the 16th century, it was the Portuguese who first introduced Western medicine into India. In 1600, the medical officers who arrived along with the East India Company's first fleet of ships also brought Western medicine to India. Initially, medical departments, with surgeons, were set up to provide medical relief to the troops and employees of the East India
The history of cross-cultural exchanges between the people of India and their colonial rulers provides a fascinating insight into how these encounters shaped medicine and medical education in India. Given the backdrop of colonialism and hegemony, the confluence of the East and the West was turbulent. It nevertheless transformed and shaped both systems of medicine.
India's initiation into western medicine
16 August 2022
Company. In 1775, hospital boards which comprised the Surgeon General and Physician General were formed. These were essentially constituted by the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army in each presidency. Medical departments were set up in Bengal, Madras, and Bombay presidencies in 1785, and these looked after both military personnel and British civilians.
The Mutiny of 1857 led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the British government was established in India. Several organised services such as the Indian Medical Service, the Central and Provincial Medical Services, and the Subordinate Medical Services were initiated to provide medical services and improve public health.
In 1869, the medical departments in the three presidencies were amalgamated into the Indian Medical Service. A competitive examination was conducted in London to recruit people into the Indian Medical Service. The European officers of the Indian Medical Service headed the military and civil medical operations in the three presidencies. However, they needed trained assistants and supporting staff such as apothecaries, compounders, and dressers in their work. Appointing European doctors had large financial implications. This prompted the British government to look toward establishing a system of medical education in India to recruit local staff.
In 1822, the Native Medical Institution was established in Calcutta to provide medical training to Indians. Around 20 young Indian students were instructed in the vernacular medium. European texts in anatomy, medicine, and surgery were translated into the local languages for the benefit of students.
clinical experience in different hospitals and dispensaries was mandatory. John Tyler, an orientalist, was the first superintendent of the Native Medical Institution. Parallel instruction was given in both Western and indigenous medical systems. In 1826, classes on Unani medicine were held at the Calcutta madrasa, while the Sanskrit college conducted classes in ayurvedic medicine. Successful native graduates were absorbed into government jobs.
In 1833, Lord William Bentinck appointed a committee to look into the state of medical education in Bengal and the teaching of indigenous systems of medicine.
In 1834, the report, submitted by the Committee led by Dr John Grant, criticized the medical training and assessment conducted by the Native Medical Institution.
In 1826, to offer Indians the opportunity to learn and practice Western medicine, an Indian medical school was started in Southern Bombay with surgeon John McLennan as the superintendent. This school, however, did not run beyond six Inyears.the 1830s, the anglicists managed to overturn several cultural educational policies started by the vernacularists and orientalists. Charles Trevelyan, an ardent Westernizer, chastised the British policy of educating Europeans in the languages and cultures of the East and recommended that “the Asiatics ought to be educated in the sciences of the West.
Though dissection was not performed,
A public health commissioner and a statistical officer were also appointed to the Government of India.
The absence of instruction in practical anatomy was also censured. The report recommended that the state should find a medical college for the “education of natives.” The various branches of medical science should be taught to students, as in Europe. The trainees should be able to read and write in English, Bengali, and Hindustani, and must be proficient in arithmetic. In February 1835, Thomas Macaulay composed a powerful minute
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In their place, a new medical college was established to train Indian students “in strict accordance with the mode adopted in Europe through the medium of the English language.” Calcutta Medical College was established in 1835 and it ushered in a new beginning to medical education in India. Youths between 14 and 20 years of age were trained in the principles and practices of medical science using methods of the West. Around 49 students were selected, some through a preliminary examination. They were to be trained for a period not less than 4 years and not more than 6 years, after which they had to appear in a final examination. Successful candidates were given certificates allowing them to practice surgery and medicine. They were called “native doctors,” and allowed to enter public service with initial pay of Rs. 30 a Inmonth.Bombay,
In March 1838, a generous grant by philanthropist Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy made way for building a new general hospital. The East India Company endorsed the proposal to set up a medical college on July 18, 1838. However, Sir Grant succumbed to illness nine days before this news arrived. The new medical college was named after Grant as a tribute to him. The
Sir Robert Grant became the Governor and was deeply moved by the vast number of Indians who died due to lack of proper medical care. He envisaged the idea of training Indians in Western medicine and as he tried to expedite his agenda for a more systematically planned medical college, he met with strong opposition. To quell this opposition and also to encourage a spirit of scientific inquiry, the Medical and Physical Society of Bombay was formed in 1835. This group led by Dr Charles Morehead studied the reasons which led to the abolishment of the previous medical school. In
The termination of official patronage to indigenous systems of medicine sealed the fate of the students of the two leading oriental institutions in Calcutta. The Native Medical Institution was abolished. The classes held at the madrasa and the Sanskrit College were discontinued in 1835.
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Dr Charles Morehead wrote that in gifting medical science to the people of India, there was a scope “not merely for the operations of successful imitation but also the adaptations of original Thegenius.”college was not designed in imitation of the Medical College in Calcutta which intended to produce government servants. The college in Bombay was designed to produce independent medical practitioners from the natives of India.
1837, the Society concluded that the establishment of a medical school was necessary “for the education of the Indians of the presidency in Medical Science to the extent of qualifying Indians to become useful and safe practitioners of medicine.”
that the government withhold further grants to institutions, “conferring instruction in the native languages.”
18 August 2022
Aservices.medical school was established in Madras in 1835 to “afford better means of instruction in Medicine and Surgery to the Indo-British and native youths, entering the medical branch of the service in the presidency.” Different courses were conducted for the medical apprentices of the apothecary branch and for pupils of the native branch of the military sub-medical department to be appointed as dressers later. The two-year course consisted of Anatomy, Materia Medica, Medicine, and Surgery. Later, Midwifery, Physiology, Ophthalmology, and Chemistry were added, and the course was extended to three years. Eventually, medical colleges were started in other provinces too, to produce a cadre of doctors who could be recruited into the Subordinate Medical Services.
In 1840, the Portuguese started the Medicine and Pharmacy Licenciates, now known as Goa Medical College. University-affiliated medical education became the norm in the 1850s, after the opening of the first three Indian universities in Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta.
Ayurvedic practitioners organised themselves and founded the All India Ayurvedic Congress. The themes central to the discourses at these conferences were British orientalism, the synthesis of medical systems, and the institutionalization of Ayurveda. MM Gananath Sen, an ayurvedic practitioner from Bengal, founded a college for the study of Ayurveda and a pharmaceutical concern for manufacturing ayurvedic medicine. Several such efforts were made to resurrect Ayurveda in the wave of Thepatriotism.brightspots for medicine during colonial times were the initiation of public health measures, vaccination, and the elevation of tropical diseases to a special area of study. The state took responsibility for sanitation and hygiene. Collection of vital statistics was initiated. Many epidemiological and research studies were conducted on cholera, plague, malaria, tuberculosis, and leprosy.
While nationalism provided fertile soil for the revival of Ayurveda and other indigenous branches of medicine, the demand for swaraj or home rule entailed that India needed to be projected as a progressive, modern, and scientific nation. Therefore, the revivalist efforts during this period placed importance on establishing the scientific and progressive credentials of Ayurveda. A proliferation of books on Ayurveda in English, Sanskrit, and vernacular languages “tried to transform the hitherto relatively inaccessible knowledge into social knowledge as well as a shared system of knowledge among the practitioners.”
The first-batch students who entered Grant Medical College were between the ages of 16 and 20 years. They were selected on set standards of vernacular language, arithmetic, and English. Two levels of instruction were offered. Indians could undertake a course to qualify as doctors as assistant surgeons or they could undertake shorter courses to allow them to practice as medical subordinates (sub-assistant surgeons, hospital assistants, and sanitary inspectors) for British government
Even so, in 1877, among the 8000 medical practitioners, only 450 were trained in Western medicine. The rest were practitioners of indigenous systems of medicine.
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foundation stone of the Grant Medical College was laid in Bombay in March 1843 to “impart the benefits of medical instruction to the Natives of Western India through a systematic system.” The general hospital which was opened in 1845 is now known as the Sir JJ Hospital.
Madras Medical College was the first in India to open its doors to women students in 1875.
Cover Story August 202220
DayIndependenceSpecialIssue
The practice of medicine as we know it today has a long and winding history in India, which can be traced through the civilisations and those who have ruled the land. Be it the Greek influence from Alexandria or the Mughal flavour from Persia all the different rulers added to the already existing curative knowledge of the natives. In the prehistoric era, evidence of medical practices has been discovered in the ruins of the ancient Harappan civilisation. In addition, Ayurveda is thought to have originated during the Vedic period. Later, with the foreign invasions, Ayurveda took a back seat and different forms of medical practice flourished, under the umbrella of the religion of the land. The modern system of medicine owes its existence to foreign invasion by western business, British rule and the East India Company.
The first documented evidence of the emergence of the modern system of medicine is from the Royal Hospital, Goa. Founded by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510, the hospital was the first hospital established in India and was one of the best-managed hospitals in the world at that time. The first native Goan to have successfully obtained the diploma of fisico appears to have been Inacio Caetano-Afonso, a native of Piedade. He was examined by the fisico-mor in 1735. His success in practice earned him the title `Aesculapius of Goa'.
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Hospitals
• Artist: W.J Huggins (1781-1845)
• Publishers: Collett & Co.
Through this humble effort to trace the development of healthcare service in India, we hope to bring forth many untold stories. This is the first feature in the series which will follow in the coming issues.
(ThisJamsetjee&constructedengravingofanimportantCharitableInstitution,founded,andatthejointexpenseofSirJamsetjeeJeejeebhoytheEastIndiaCompany,isrespectfullydedicatedtoSirJeejeebhoy,byhisobedientservant,W.J.Huggins.Buildingis400feetinlength&280feetindepth)."
Engraver; Charles Rosenberg
• Medium: Engraving, 19.x30. centimetres
"Engraving of the Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital in Bombay by C. Rosenberg after W. J. Huggins and published by Collett and Co. in 1843. Inscribed: 'Bombay Native Hospital. This
The Glorious Past
• Caption
Subsequently, when the East India Company came to India, it also paved the way for the Indian Medical services (IMS). Established in 1612, IMS comprised British surgeons, who were recruited to take care of the British troops and their families in India. The Government General Hospital, Madras was started by them on November 16, 1664, as a small hospital to treat
• Place of Publication: Bombay
This is a humble initiative to record the history of modern medicine in India. The foundation of modern medicine in India.
• Publishing year: 1843
As we celebrate the 75th year of Indian Independence, we take a step back to look at the beginning of things.
Another institute of importance was the Cama hospital for women and children opened in Bombay under the supervision of Dr Edith Peeheyphipson in August 1886. It was the first hospital for women, managed by women in India.
Previously in 1823, a medical college called the Ecole de Medicine de Pondicherry was established by the French government in Pondicherry. Other reputed medical schools of the era were The Auxiliary Royapuram Medical School, Madras (1877) and The King Edward Medical School, Indore 1878. Stanly medical school named after Sir Frederick Stanley on March 27, 1917, was earlier known as Royapuram School established in 1913 in Madras. The privilege of establishing the first Dental college in
Medical schools and colleges
August 202222
When the East India Company came to India, it also paved the way for the Indian Medical services (IMS). Established in 1612, IMS comprised British surgeons, who were recruited to take care of the British troops and their families in India
The year 1835, has a special bearing in the history of medical education in India. Two very prestigious and respected medical colleges in India, Calcutta Medical College and Madras Medical College admitted students for the first time in 1835. The Calcutta Medical College was not only the first institute to teach modern medicine in India but also in Asia. In Bombay the first medical college was named after Sir Robert Grant, then Governor of Bombay and the college started functioning in 1845.
A hospital for lunatics was established on May 17, 1918, at Ranchi called the Ranchi European Lunatic Asylum. Lady Willingdon Hospital was inaugurated and started on November 20, 1935, with a major donation by Lady Willingdon, the then vicereine, to serve the people in the Kullu valley.
Other noted hospitals at the time were Gokuldas Sir JJ hospital (1845), KEM hospital (1926) Bombay, Bai Motlibai and Petit Hospital and Albert Edward Hospital at Kolhapur Central India’s tryst with modern medicine began in 1837 when the British officer Dr Bruce a resident surgeon arrived in Indore to look after the British troops and their families.
Cover Story
the sick soldiers of the East India Company. Later on, in 1750, it was declared open to the native population. In Bombay, the first hospital was opened in 1676 and Calcutta in 1707-08. During the same era, French rulers built a hospital at Pondicherry in 1701. Hence, Madras was the first city in India to establish the first present-day hospital in India. INHS Asvini, Bombay, established in 1756 was the first of all naval hospitals, which started in the barracks as King’s Seamen Hospital for in- patients. All these hospitals were started with either the rich and elite or the troops in mind and therefore the native Indians did not find treatment here.
In Ahmedabad, the first indigenous hospital called Seth Vadilal Sarabhai General hospital was started in 1931.
A hospital for lunatics wasestablished on May 17, 1918,at Ranchi called the RanchiEuropean Lunatic Asylum.
It was John Underwood, the company surgeon, who established the first medical facility in 1799 at Monegar Choultry in Madras for the Indians and called it ‘Native Infirmary’. It consisted of a cluster of buildings with the government-maintained asylum for lepers among others.
In 1851 there was the Indore Charitable Hospital & the Indore City Dispensary & there were dispensaries in Ujjain, Ratlam, Dhar & Manpur.
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In pre-independence India Calcutta was the hub of medicine, madras was the nucleus of obstetrics and gynaecology and Bombay was the focal point for surgeries.
Dr Edith Mary Brown and her colleagues started the North Indian School of Medicine for Christian Women in 1894. Special mention of Christian Medical College, Vellore which was started as a Clinic in 1900 by Ms Scudder. Later, she started a school for compounders (1903), a school for Nurses (1909) and finally a medical school for women in 1918.
The Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and the KEM hospital arose as a counter to British-managed hospitals in 1925. The most important condition of the endowment was that all members of the teaching faculties should be well-qualified Indians. Dr Jivraj Mehta was its first dean.
InCollege.1907,
Lady Willington Medical School for Women founded in 1923 in Madras and Lady Hardinge Medical College, 1916, Delhi are among the oldest women’s medical colleges in the country. Lady Reading health school, Delhi and Lady Dufferin hospital, Calcutta Founded in the year 1925 in Patna, with 35 students on the rolls was earlier known as Prince Of Wales Medical
During that period Madras Medical College had already become a trendsetter and admitted women students for the first time in India. 1875, when only one institution in the US was open for women and none in Europe. Later Calcutta Medical College started admitting women in 1885 and in 1887 Grant Medical College in Bombay followed suit.
Nursing
Two very prestigious and respected medical colleges in India, Calcutta Medical College and Madras Medical College admitted students for the first time in 1835.
Medical education and women
the association of Medical women in India was founded under the leadership of Dr Annetie Benson of the Cama hospital in Bombay
10 nursing sisters, who arrived here from England in February 1888, birthed the nursing profession in India. The first Indian nurse Bai Kashibai
Lady Willington MedicalSchool for Women foundedin 1923 in Madras and LadyHardinge Medical College,1916, Delhi are among theoldest women’s medicalcolleges in the country
1938. The first all-India Conference of Medical Women was convened in Delhi the principal subjects addressed included anaemia and eclampsia.
Further, Madras Medical College had the privilege of producing four fully trained women doctors in 1878. They were Mary Scharleib, Miss D White, D Mitchell, and B Beate. Interestingly, a special scholarship of Rs 20 was awarded to every woman candidate for her five years of studies in Medical Consequently,College.
India goes to Dr Rafuddin Ahmed who founded India’s first Dental College in Calcutta in 1928 from his earnings and real hard work.
The participation of women in medical practice started as early as 1880 when Fanny Butler became the first British woman to practice medicine in India. She served as a member of the church of England (Zenana Missionary society) and carried out pioneering work among Indian women. Next, in 1885, The Countess of Dufferin’s Fund was created to bring women doctors to India and open women’s hospitals and wards, and train Indian women in Medicine. Lady Reading Health School, Delhi.
Ganpat of Thane was trained at JJ Hospital, Bombay in the year 1891. The first Nursing school in India was established at Cama Hospital, Bombay in 1886. The Association of Nursing Superintendents was founded in 1905 in Lucknow, which was later amalgamated in 1922 and called The Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI).
The first Indian woman to graduate in western medicine is believed to be Anandibai Joshi of Pune, in the year 1886. She was the first Brahmin student from Pune. She took her training in the United States of America at The Woman's Medical College, Philadelphia and completed her M.D. in 1886. She was greatly encouraged by her husband Gopalrao, a clerk in the postal department who strongly advocated women's education. Soon after her return to India, she was appointed as a physician in charge of the female ward of the Albert Edward Hospital at Kolhapur. She however died of tuberculosis at the age of 22 years in 1887.
Sarjoo Coomar Goodeve Chauckerbutty was the first Indian to enter the Indian Medical Service as Assistant Surgeon on January 24, 1855. Kadambini Ganguly was one of the first female graduates of the British Empire and the first female physician of South Asia to be trained in European medicine. Ganguly studied medicine at Calcutta Medical College. In 1886, she was awarded a GBMC (Graduate of Bengal Medical College) degree, which gave her the right to practise. She thus became the first Indian woman doctor qualified to practice western medicine.
Cover Story
In India, the first nursing college was set up in New Delhi in 1946, now known as Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing.
The first four men to qualify in Western medicine from the Calcutta Medical College in 1838 were Uma Karan Set, Dwarka Nath Gupta, Raj Kristo Dey and Nobin Chander Mitter. The first batch of students admitted to the Grant Medical College, Bombay, in 1845, was awarded the diploma 'Graduates of Grant Medical College,' (GGMC) in 1851. They were Bhau Daji Lad Parsekar, Sebastian AD Carvalho, Atmaram Pandurang Tarkhad, Paul Frances Gomes, Merwanjee Sorabji, Burjorji Dorabji, Anant Chundroba Dukle and JC Lisboa.
The first four men to qualifyin Western medicine fromthe Calcutta Medical Collegein 1838 were Uma KaranSet, Dwarka Nath Gupta,Raj Kristo Dey and NobinChander Mitter
DuringProgramme.theSecond
The participation of women in medical practice started as early as 1880 when Fanny Butler became the first British woman to practice medicine in India.
August 202224
Muthulakshmi Reddy was the first Indian woman to get the MB and CM, in 1912, topping her Madras Medical College class in surgery and becoming the first woman surgeon in India. She was to go on to become the first woman legislator in India and the first Woman Deputy President of a Legislative Council, presiding over its proceedings many a time.
Lady Reading Health School, Delhi was established in 1918 under the Countess of Dufferin Fund for training Nursing personnel for MCH
World War, there was an acute shortage of nurses of one nurse for every 50 to 60,000 of the population. Hence, a short course of intensive training in nursing was initiated for the first time in 1942, which was called the auxiliary nursing service. About 3,000 young women of India, of all castes and creeds, were given this intensive training and enrolled.
In 1907, she joined the Madras Medical College, where she achieved a
Pioneers of Indian medicine
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Upendranath Brahmachari was a noted Indian scientist and a leading medical practitioner of his time. He synthesized Urea Stibamine (carbostibamide) in 1922 and determined that it was an effective substitute for the other antimony-containing compounds in the treatment of Kala-azar (Visceral leishmaniasis) which is caused by protozoa, Leishmania donovani. He was a nominee for the Nobel Prize in 1929 in the category of physiology and
Formedicine.hisachievements,
Auxiliary services
St John Ambulance a leading first aid, transport and charity care organisation was established in India in 1873. In 1912 the St John Ambulance Association was granted autonomy and the Council was established. The first Nursing Division was established in 1913. The first Cadet Division was established in 1925.
Kadambini Ganguly was one of the first female graduates of the British Empire and the first female physician of South Asia to be trained in European medicine. Ganguly studied medicine at Calcutta Medical College
Rai Bahadur Hari Ram started private practice in radiology along with his general practice in 1932, but exclusive radiology practice was started by Dr SC Sen in 1933 who later became a founder member of the Indian Radiological Association (IRA). He had a 150 mA unit. Dr Sen claimed two other 'firsts' to his credit. He started deep X-ray therapy in New Delhi in 1935 with a 180 kV machine and also started group practice.
St John Ambulance a leadingfirst aid, transport andcharity care organisationwas established in India in1873. In 1912 the St JohnAmbulance Association wasgranted autonomy and theCouncil was established
Perhaps the first woman anaesthetist in the world and in India, Roopabai Ferdunji worked in Hyderabad in 1889; she later went to Edinburgh for further studies.
On 7th June 1920, fifty members were formally nominated to constitute the Indian Red Cross Society and the first Managing Body was elected from among them with Sir Malcolm Hailey as Chairman.
His Highness Maharaja Thakore Sir Dr Bhagvatsinghji Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal was an immensely progressive and enlightened Maharaja of Gondal and the only ruler of a princely state to take a medical degree.
he received many awards. Most notable among them are, the Griffith Memorial Prize of the University of Calcutta, the Minto Medal by the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1921), the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal by the Governor General Lord Lytton (1924), Knighthood by the British Government (1934) and Sir William Jones Medal by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He was honoured with the fellowships of the Royal Society of Medicine, London and the National Institute of Sciences of India. He was the President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for two years (1928-29).
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) established in 1911 has a network of 21 permanent research institutes and six regional medical research centres distributed throughout the country.
brilliant academic record. With several gold medals and prizes to her credit, Muthulakshmi passed out in 1912 to become the first woman surgeon in the country
The Medical Council of India was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933.
Modern technology such as big data analytics can help to make traditional knowledge-based medical approaches “evidence-based” by unveiling previously “invisible” information about their efficacy, interactions, and effects.
One needs to start collecting, structuring, and organising its information without compromising the aspects of heterogeneity in disease management and individuality aspects to start objectifying the beneficial aspects of Ayurveda for its integration with mainstream medicine.
Ayurveda is one of the oldest known medical systems in human history, an ancient Indian approach to holistic medicine that is still contemporary and encompasses all aspects of Predictive, Preventive, Personalised, and Participatory medicine for dealing with healthy and diseased individuals with an additional component of promotion of health. Although, 75 per cent of Indians avail Ayurveda, a major fraction
In Ayurveda, individuals are classified based on their constitution types Prakriti which allows the practitioners to ascertain their baseline homeostatic states, assess perturbations during disease states (Vikriti), and recommend customised therapy for restoring homeostasis. A multi-pronged approach using genomics (Ayurgenomics) has provided the scientific basis of Prakriti principles of Ayurveda for understanding human genetic individuality and its potential in stratified medicine.
Genomics and Big Data Analytics in Ayurvedic Medicine
Michael Sagner, MD, European Society of Preventive Medicine, London
The exhaustive documentation of Ayurveda provides a generic framework that allows practitioners to diversify, evolve, and customise a variety of approaches in disease management keeping the local biodiversity, demographics, and spatiotemporal aspects in context. A trained Ayurveda practitioner can treat a multitude of diseases even though they may specialise in treatment modalities and therapies. This, however, to a modern audience conveys the impression that the system does not conform to set protocols. Because many preventive aspects of Ayurveda are enmeshed in Indian traditional living, most times
26 August 2022
We are witnessing a paradigm shift from a reactive healthcare model to Predictive, Preventive, Personalised, and Participatory medicine for holistic and proactive management of health across the entire lifespan in the 21st century. Innovative strategies are needed for this to be implemented and affordable across diverse populations and in resource constraint settings. Embracing the tenets of traditional medicine practices that have evolved in different parts of the world to address local and global needs has found many proponents in recent times.
map to rural India where it is the preferred primary healthcare system.
Approach
Mitali Mukerji, PhD, Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi
these are also mistaken as grandmother’s recipes and concoctions. Even if registered Ayurveda practitioners prescribe interventions and treatments, individuals who avail both conventional and ayurvedic medicine for chronic conditions are hesitant to reveal this to a treating contemporary physician. Thus, one cannot gauge the efficacy of Ayurveda during combination therapy and only during rare cases of side effects does it gets highlighted. Besides, evidence for well-controlled clinical trials and systematic research reviews is sparsely available in digital form.
knowledge-based Ayurveda medicine” by the Chauhan and Brahmachari group published in the journal is the first of its kind in this direction, which provides a snapshot of its practice through digital 300records.Ayurveda
doctors took part in the study which analyzed 353,000 patients’ data digitally captured records over teleconsultation and in-person consultations in the lead author’s telemedicine JIVA enterprise (Jiva Ayurveda, Faridabad, India). This study addressed a few aspects, such as the general demographics of the population, the kinds of diseases which individuals approach an Ayurveda practitioner, what practitioners cure, and the perceived side effects due to drug–herbal interactions, etc. The study has first curated and collated descriptive stats from records of individuals’ profiles to age, sex, region, chronicity, nature of disease perturbation described by Vikriti, disease morbidity and comorbid conditions, and reported the effectiveness of the treatment. It reveals that a bulk of the fraction
To start objectifying the beneficial aspects of Ayurveda for its integration with mainstream medicine, one needs to start collecting, structuring, and organising its information without compromising the aspects of heterogeneity in disease management and individuality aspects. This should also be amenable to the big data analytics framework and portability for sharing and dissemination in a language that is contemporary. The publication on “Big data analysis of traditional
www.indiamedtoday.com 27
further progress in these diseases can be controlled through Ayurveda. One such example is the endocrine system wherein obesity is observed between 20 and 40 years and diabetes in 40–60 years, respectively. Although biases in the kind of people who approach Ayurveda through telemedicine cannot be ruled out, the authors provide evidence of similar trends in telemedicine versus hospital settings.
Although it might be in the authors’ interest to highlight the effectiveness of their treatment as a stakeholder with a declared commercial interest, digitisation of records ensures the testability of claims and also highlights aspects where there is further scope for validation and development. For instance, it provides a framework that can be integrated and implemented in diverse settings, including modern clinics for assessing the outcomes of alternative medicines. This is relevant in diseases where either the costs of the treatment become extremely prohibitive or the quality of life is majorly compromised due to long-term medications, dietary restrictions, or
who have chronic non-communicable diseases for more than five years and comprise five main organ systems, namely, digestive (30.6 per cent), endocrine (14.6 per cent), skeleton (13.5 per cent), skin (11.2 per cent), nervous (7.6 per cent), and respiratory (7.4 per cent). Furthermore, they have used state-of-the-art big data analytics techniques to not only understand the underlying structure of data but also the comorbidity pattern and differences across age and gender.
28 August 2022
Approachcomprisesindividuals
For the first time, this study not only provides a framework for big data analytics on Ayurveda health records but also provides insights into diseases for which it could be a preferred choice for alternative treatment and the target population. For example, the digestive system gets highlighted as a major ailment for which individuals avail Ayurveda medicine across gender and different age groups. Through their analysis of patterns of prevalence in early and later ages for a disease of a particular organ system, the authors highlight the need for longitudinal trials on a controlled population to see if
www.indiamedtoday.com 29
(3) its global adoption through a generic framework. Although telemedicine has the power of outreach and digitisation, it might be worthwhile to consider that an increase in objectivity does not lead to fragmentation of the system’s essence of a holistic and personalised approach. Long overlooked by Western science, traditional treatments can yield useful interventions for prevention and treatment. However, alternative medicine often provides patients with too many unscientific options.
Ansettings.immense
(2) providing affordable healthcare through its stratified approach and integration in preventive and management aspects, and
side effects. These would be important in autoimmune conditions and complex diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Celiac’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel diseases to name a few. Also under cancerous conditions, where comorbid conditions primarily arise due to side effects of intensive therapies, patients are increasingly seeking alternative therapies. Comprehending this enormous maze of information on clinical phenotypes, objective clinical measures from advanced imaging instruments multiomic readouts and other state-of-art intervention technologies, however, need a Big Data framework. This also provides an opportunity for the participation of other stakeholders in the development of an innovative framework that could enable the aggregation of information from a heterogeneous set of practitioners and from individuals’ experiences who avail dual systems of medicine and in diverse
At the same time, most physicians and patients are unaware of the relative benefits of ancient systems like Ayurvedic medicine. An informed choice based on scientific evidence can guide individuals to the most effective and appropriate health interventions. A closer scientific look at Ayurvedic medicine using modern technologies should be in the interest of the patients, physicians, and other stakeholders to improve the quality of life across the health span.
opportunity now exists for (1) increasing Ayurveda’s acceptability through building scientific credence,
Growth of Jaipur's Health Sector
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh was so impressed by allopathic science that he always preferred to call Col Dr Henley for his treatment till his last breath. Dr
Dr. Shailesh Jhawar, Director, Apex Hospitals, Jaipur
Impact
One hospital and one dispensary were started in 1845. Subsequently, such facilities were recommended for other parts of the state as well. However, due to a lack of trained doctors, the initiative made limited success. In 1855, a maternity hospital, one dispensary and a medical school were opened in Jaipur. In the first batch, 24 students
30 August 2022
Daljan Singh Khanka, a Kashmiri, was brought to Jaipur by Maharaja Madho Singh. He was the first Indian MBBS to come into Jaipur State Services. He accompanied Maharaja Madho Singh to England at the time of the coronation of King George V and on his return introduced the concept of sterilisation in Jaipur. His successful removal of a large ovarian tumour and survival of the patient without post-operative sepsis received wide acclaim in 1905.
Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, has gone through a revolution in the health sector since 1844 and has reached a milestone in providing quality treatments
The history of modern medical science in Jaipur started in 1844 when an allopathic dispensary was started by the Regency Council. The reign of Maharaja Swai Ram Singh (1850 to 1880) was another milestone in Jaipur’s history of medicine. The scientific aspects of the treatment of disease were appreciated by the ruler who permitted the then agency surgeon, Dr Bur, to start a medical school in Raipur. The school, however, was closed down due to public opposition over the dissection of human bodies. Dr Bur later built a general hospital in 1875 opposite Sanganeri Gate and named it after Lord Mayo the then Governor General of India.
The year 1947 marked the beginning of a new era in medical education in Rajasthan with the inception of the 15th centre for medical education in India, the prestigious Sawai Man Singh Medical College. Initially, the college started work in the south wing of SMS Hospital and the building of the Jaipur Medical Association. Dr GN Sen was its first principal. He had a short tenure and was succeeded by Dr SC Mehta, famous for his great zeal, drive and sense of discipline. His acumen in choosing his staff was reflected in the selection of Dr HC Choudhary, the first professor of physiology, and Dr BM Lal, the first professor of anatomy, both of whom were loved and admired by their Professorstudents.
Ram Bihari Arora and professor RKGoel were the fortunate ones to head the department of pharmacology and pathology respectively. In 1951, Dr SK Menon took over as principal of the college. In 1952, the college was recognised by the Medical Council of India and the foundation of a new OPD block was laid in the succeeding year. 1952 also marked the beginning of PG Courses and the first batch of MD and MS students qualified in 1955.
www.indiamedtoday.com 31
Dr Bhola Nath was the first medical graduate to start his private clinic and dispensary in Jaipur at the beginning of this century. Dr (Miss) MC Dougal, a Scottish lady with missionary zeal, ran a maternity home in the walled city during the first half of this century. She, however, had to wind up in the midsixties due to old age. Dr Tara Chand Gangwal, a legendary personality, was
were admitted. Dr Kingford Burr was appointed as the director of this college and he taught material medical, practical therapeutics, surgery and practice of medicine. Later, Dr Najeeb Khan and Dr Hussain Baksh were appointed as demonstrators in anatomy and assistant surgeon Dr Parvati Charan Ghosh was appointed as a lecturer to teach principles and practice of medicine, physiology and material medical.
Three years later (1861-64), over differences, certain unfortunate developments led to the closure of the medical school which was still in its infancy. In 1945, late Sir Mirza Ismail, Prime Minister of Jaipur state, during his visit to Sikar, was invited for tea by Late Rao Raja Kalian Singh of Sikar at his guest house. Incidentally, the chief medical officer, Dr SC Mehta was also one of the invitees. During discussions, Dr Mehta pointed out that doctors coming from other states leave the services as soon as they get suitable
jobs in their parent states and hence there was always a shortage of doctors. The solution which he recommended was establishing a medical college in the state. Sir Ismail then started working on the project. On March 13, 1946, Lord Wavell laid the foundation stone of SMS college in a very impressive function presided over by H.H. Sawai Man Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur.
The1972.late
Dr Sardar Singh was the first medical graduate of SMS Medical College who started private practice in 1953 and later developed a hospital for eye and general surgery. Dr Chandra Kanta led the lady medical graduate of SMS Medical College by being the pioneer to start a gynaecology and maternity nursing home in 1955-56. Dr GP Choudhary was the first person who started a pathological laboratory in the private sector in 1942. The city witnessed the first private general hospital which was started by the Santokba Durlabhji Trust on January 1,
the first person who initiated a trend of nursing homes in Jaipur. His first nursing home was for ENT, General Surgery and maternity-related issues. He later on established SDM Diagnostic Clinic in October 1963, for the benefit of the weaker sections of society. The Mode Dharamshala opposite the SMS Hospital is his creation for the benefit of the patients of SMS Hospital.
'90s saw multiple homeground entrepreneurs Dr BL Soni (Soni Hospital), Dr SB Jhawar (Apex Hospitals) and Dr KM Bhandari (Bhandari Hospital) expand their small health care facilities to start attracting super speciality services in Jaipur. Bhagwan Mahaveer is the only dedicated private hospital in the state for cancer. The decade 20002010 saw the advent of the corporate hospital where there was the expansion of Apex Hospital and Soni Hospital and with it arrived the first corporate hospital in Jaipur in the form of Fortis TheHospital.decade also saw multi-speciality services going in the state with Jodhpur, Sikar, Ganganagar, Kota, and Udaipur taking the lead. 2010-2020 was the era of corporate and chains.
While the private sector was thriving, the government sector was not very much behind. SMS Medical College grew into one of the largest hospitals in the country with over 3000 beds occupying all the stream medicine has made Chainsavailable.starting with Apex of Jaipur, Shriram of Jodhpur and Mewar of Udaipur mainly made ambitious progress in the state. The future brings hope for the consolidation of tier II and III cities of the state.
Corporates like Narayana, Manipal, Shalby, EHCC and Birla all made their pitch and saw the growth of private medical colleges in MGH (Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and Research Hospital),
Impact 32 August 2022
NIMS (National Institute of Medical Sciences) and JNU( Jaipur National University). Quaternary services like transplant, paediatric, heart surgery, ECMO, bariatric surgery, and radiation, were now home to the state.
The new test works by detecting molecular signals in the body called biomarkers, which are already used in things like COVID-19 testing where the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genes indicates
Diagnosticcancer. tests based on RNA or DNA often require controlled temperatures and involve multiple steps. The new test
COVID-19. There are also biomarkers for non-infectious diseases: for example, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood can sometimes act as a biomarker to indicate the presence of prostate
CrisprZyme: Boosting Access to DiagnosticsBiomarker
Innovate
www.indiamedtoday.com 33
Cancers and heart disease could be diagnosed more easily with new rapid test
Source: Imperial College London
Imperial researchers have built a new easy-to-use test that could diagnose non-infectious diseases like heart attacks and cancers more quickly.
to provide clinicians with the right tools to test at the same GP surgery instead of having to reschedule for follow-up analyses and blood tests.”
Innovate 34 August 2022
Thecountries.new
First author Dr Marta Broto, of Imperial’s Department of Materials, said, “As well as potentially boosting access to diagnostics in developing countries, this technology could bring us a step closer to personalised diagnostics at home or the GP surgery. By making clinical diagnostic tests simpler, we will be able
CRISPR-inspired
The researchers hope this could enable quicker and easier diagnostics in settings like GP surgeries, as well as in resource-limited clinics in developing
can be used at room temperature in a user-friendly process.
CrisprZyme builds on CRISPR diagnostic tests, which use RNA – the messenger that helps create proteins – to detect biomarkers in biological fluids like blood or urine. In their current form, these tests detect RNA and then amplify this RNA by creating many copies so that the signal is easier to read.
test, called CrisprZyme, has been developed by a team of researchers led by Imperial College London, MIT, and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. They say the test could boost access to biomarker diagnostics. The results of preliminary lab studies of the test are published today in Nature Nanotechnology.
CrisprZyme improves this technology by replacing the amplification process
However, these amplifying technologies must be temperature controlled to work, which requires expensive equipment. Additionally, although they tell medics whether an infectious disease is present, they cannot provide information about how much biomarker is present, which is important for monitoring non-infectious diseases like heart diseases and cancer.
To eliminate the amplification step, the researchers used nanozymes – tiny synthetic materials that behave like enzymes. Their enzymatic-like activity increases the signal of the test making the colourimetric analysis easier to Theread.technology
with colorimetric analysis – a method that determines the amount of biomarker present without the need for amplification. This eliminates the need for temperature control and additional steps, and can also reveal how much of a biomarker is present in a sample.
www.indiamedtoday.com 35
does not quite remove all the steps, as the sample must still be treated with chemicals to extract the desired biomarker before it’s run through the test. The researchers are continuing to upgrade their technology by studying alternatives for sample treatment to make it even more user-
Senior author Professor Molly Stevens FRS FREng, of Imperial’s Departments of Materials and Bioengineering, said: “Our test, like others, indicates when a biomarker is present, but CrisprZyme is a simpler diagnostic than those currently available. What also sets it apart is that it can tell us just how much biomarker is present, which can help us not just with diagnosing a disease, but with monitoring its progress over time and in response to treatment.”
Thisfriendly.work
was funded by the British Heart Foundation, the EPSRC IRC in Early Warning Sensing Systems for Infectious Diseases (i-sense), the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Rosetrees Trust.
“Following further development and testing in the lab, we hope this could help take us a step closer to personalised medicine whereby treatment is tailored more specifically to patients’ needs.”
Using nanozymes
Amazon just took over a primary healthcare company for a lot of money. Should we be worried?
36 August 2022
Meanwhile, Amazon has been increasing its presence in the healthcare sector for some years. In 2018 it acquired PILLPACK, which became Amazon Pharmacy. And in 2020 it introduced Amazon Care – a virtual healthcare company that connects patients with a range of telehealth and primary care Byservices.acquiring
One Medical, which was a competitor, Amazon is moving further in the US healthcare market. This isn’t
With a subscription fee of just $199 per year, One Medical helps bridge the gap between the US’ inefficient public healthcare system and people’s need for (expensive) healthcare insurance.
Pulse
Paul Haskell-Dowland, Professor of Cyber Security Practice, Edith Cowan University
Mohiuddin Ahmed, Lecturer of Computing & Security, Edith Cowan University
What is One Medical?
Recently, Amazon announced plans to fork out $3.9 billion (A$5.6 billion) to acquire US healthcare company One OneMedical.Medical reportedly provides primary care on a membership basis to some 800,000 people across the United States. In its own words, it claims to be “on a mission to make getting quality care more affordable, accessible and enjoyable for all”.
But why is Amazon – the company that helps you get a cheap home projector, or a toaster – investing in this area?
It provides a comprehensive set of online resources for paying members, including a mobile app to seek medical support and “24/7 access to virtual Thecare”.company has done well for itself, reporting net revenue of more than $250 million in 2022’s first quarter.
Why Amazon Bought One Medical
Connecting the dots
Amazon knows a lot about its customers. Through user browsing and purchases made on its website, it collects vast amounts of data to better understand what people need and want – with the ultimate goal of selling more products and Amazonservices.also has the option to tap into a worldwide network of Amazon-branded devices, such as Echo and Alexa. Recent research has suggested Amazon uses voice data collected through Alexa to target potential customers with Often,advertisements.techcompanies claim they collect data to generate a more positive experience for customers. They might be able to present you with personalised product options, saving you time and Butenergy.what about when you combine this data with more privileged and sensitive information related to your health?
While there may be some legislative protections in certain jurisdictions, it wouldn’t be difficult for Amazon to connect the dots between people’s healthcare data and all the other data it already collects.
An Amazon spokesperson said One Medical customer's information protected under the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) would be “handled separately from all other Amazon businesses as required by law”.
www.indiamedtoday.com 37
Is it all about data?
This does point to some basic level of privacy protection; HIPAA is designed to protect people’s personally identifiable information, medical history and other sensitive health data.
dissimilar to what it did with book retailers when it first launched as what was essentially an.
Amazon isn’t just a giant online shopping mall. It’s also a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) services.
But how well Amazon can assure customers this is being adhered to will hinge on it being transparent. Without this, it will be hard for anyone on the outside to figure out the inner workings
The sensitive nature of patient information, coupled with the fact that many health organisations still use outdated digital infrastructure, means the healthcare industry is ripe for Thisexploitation.article is republished from The Conversation, under a Creative Commons license.
In a worst-case scenario, we may see Amazon monopolising the US healthcare industry, with its usual practice of undercutting competitors and hardselling to customers. It lures customers with low prices, before egging them into buying Amazonmore.Pharmacy
already offers discounted drugs to Prime members. And it could be imagined those willing to pay higher fees might secure better healthcare from Amazon, opening a door to health insurance services.
Pulse 38 August 2022
Regarding needing “clear permission from customers”, ideally this means Amazon will ensure the permissions process is transparent. But transparency around data-sharing requests remains a murky issue in the big tech space.
As Amazon steps further into the healthcare space, it’s not a stretch to think it could combine its AI capabilities and Alexa voice data to target sick
Will Amazon start targeting Amazon Pharmacy ads for vital medications to One Medical patient who has provided “clear permission” for data sharing?
The wealth of information Amazon is aggregating also makes it a more attractive target for cyber-attacks and data leaks. Information that was previously held in various, disparate networks is now contained within the servers of one organisation. Criminals will inevitably take an interest.
of the data handling. The spokesperson said: As required by law, Amazon will never share One Medical customers’ personal health information outside of One Medical for advertising or marketing purposes of other Amazon products and services without clear permission from the customer.
Expanding its empire?
After all, voice data collected by Amazon devices can be deleted – but how many people do this? How many are aware they can?
In the past, Amazon has admitted to handing over people’s data (collected through its Ring doorbells) to US police, without consent or warrants.
people with medical products or Amazon Care services.
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