Medical Devices parks to be set up in the country

Recommendations of the Task Force on Promotion of Domestic Production of High End Medical Devices released

The Government is going to set up Medical Devices Parks in the country, and first such park will come up in Gujarat soon. The Union Minister of Chemicals and fertilizers Shri Ananth Kumar said this while releasing the recommendations of the Task Force on Promotion of Domestic Production of High End Medical Devices & Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment. He said that only 30% of the country's requirement of Medical Devices is being met through indigenous production, and that of low end category. The Minister said that the Government is taking several steps to boost the domestic production of high end medical devices & pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. He said that NIPER, Ahmedabad will be the nodal institute for undertaking research and development in the area. Shri Ananth Kumar said that the recommendations made by the Task force will be implemented in a time bound manner. He said that the Department has already taken up issues of incentives and taxation on such devices with the finance Ministry so that the indigenously produced medical devices can compete with the imported ones. The minister said that need is being felt to have a separate department to handle the issues of facilitation and regulation of high end medical devices & pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, as their consumption is increasing very fast and there is need to make India self-dependent in the sector. He said that on the lines of National List of Essential Medicines, there should be a National List of Essential Medical Devices to enable providing affordable, quality products to masses easily.

The Minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers Shri Gangaram Hansraj Ahir said on the occasion that the Government is working hard to achieve the objective of Make in India.

Medical devices' industry is a multi-product industry, producing wide range of products. Taking all the products category of 'Medical Devices' together, India is importing around 69% of its total requirement. The imports of high-end Medical devices are much higher, going up to around 87% for the category of Medical Electronics, Hospital Equipment, Surgical Instruments. In view of the prevailing scenario, the Task Force on 'Promotion of Domestic Production of High-end Medical Devices and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment' was set up by the Department of Pharmaceuticals as an initiative to implement the PM's visions of 'Make in India'. The Task Force was headed by Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals and consisted of representatives from Planning Commission, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Health Research, DCGI, Department of Commerce, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Department of Electronics and Information Technology and various Industry Associations including AIMED, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FOPE etc.

The Task Force has given recommendations to address concerns and constraints facing the sector and suggested measures that would augment domestic production of medical devices. The Task Force has recommended measures to enhance policy and institutional support; suggested strengthening of infrastructural support; and, recommended fiscal and financial support to the sector. In addition, the Task Force has also recommended measures for creating an institutional set-up for efficacy & safety testing, promoting skill development aligned to the need of the industry, strengthening the R&D Capability of the sector, pricing strategy for the sector and conducive regulatory environment.

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