NIF, NHSRC join hands to tackle public health issues

Activities include assessment of innovative healthcare technologies, supporting technology transfer for bulk production

Ahmedabad-based National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF) and Delhi-based National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) entered into an agreement on Monday to 'collaborate on various activities related to public health', a press statement issued by NIF said here.

The agreement was signed by Dr Vipin Kumar, director and chief innovation officer, NIF and Dr Sanjeev Kumar, executive director, NHSRC in presence of Dr Jitender Sharma, director, NHSRC, the statement further said.

A number of activities have been envisioned, including assessment of innovative healthcare technologies, supporting technology transfer for bulk production, supporting pilot studies to validate efficacy and use in public health system, conducting joint training and capacity building in identified areas of work and collaborating in various other areas in the field of healthcare technologies, under the scope of the agreement, the statement added.

NIF, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), falling under the Union government's Ministry of Science and Technology, provides institutional support to innovators from the informal sector by incubating their technological innovations.

NHSRC, an apex body for technical assistance set-up under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), is mandated to assist in policy and strategy development in the provision and mobilisation of technical assistance to the states and in capacity building for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) at the Centre and in the states.