Medtronic to provide ear care to 10 mn poor

Medical technology company Medtronic on Monday said it has committed itself to providing ear care to 10 million poor people in the country through its Indian subsidiary by 2025.

"India Medtronic Private Limited aims to provide quality ear care to 10 million people from the underserved community of India by 2025 through its innovative ear care programme called 'Shruti'," the company said in a statement.

According to the Indian Journal of Otology, almost 80 per cent of hearing loss is preventable, yet many individuals do not have the awareness, or access to quality, affordable ear care.

"There is about six per cent of India's population that suffers from hearing disability who need urgent intervention. 'Shruti' is a health system innovation from Medtronic and aligns with the government's vision of 'Make in India' and 'Digital India'," said India Medtronic Managing Director Madan Krishnan.

The Medtronic ear screening kit is designed in Bengaluru and manufactured in Chennai, he said. The 'Shruti' programme uses information technology to drive down the costs and expand last mile access to quality healthcare, added Krishnan.

Medtronic launched 'Shruti' in 2013 to provide low-cost ear care that includes awareness, screening, diagnosis and low-cost treatment to the underserved in urban settlements and rural areas.

With its presence in 25 hospitals across 18 cities in India and in Dhaka, Bangladesh and with the network of community health workers, more than 390,000 people have been screened and more than 8,000 people have received treatment at reduced cost, the company said.

In December 2017, BCtA (Business Call to Action), a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) initiative, studied the impact of the 'Shruti' programme. Medtronic plans to use this impact data on 'Shruti' to assess and improve screening and treatment protocols, it said.

--IANS

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