Healthcare

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 04 sep 2014

Indiscriminate, inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics leads to an undesirable consequence of multi drug resistant bug. In 2009 metallo lactamase NDM-1 was first detected in a patient in New Delhi. In a recent study conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Asad Ullah Khan and Dr. Shadab Parvez of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), have found a deadly bacteria variant known as NDM-4 from the samples of the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital's sewage. This is the first recorded occurence of NDM-4, which is also called 'super bug' and is a more deadly variant of NDM-1, in India. According to Dr. Khan, 'We have to spread more awareness nationwide regarding the urgent need of taking due precautions with regards to safe drinking water and uncontaminated food.' Dr. Khan mentioned that high risk group for this bacteria are people with very low resistance such as cancer and HIV patients. Read on...

The Financial Times: Antibiotic resistant 'super bug' found by Aligarh Muslim University researchers
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 04 sep 2014

India has successfully placed itself as the leading hub of low-cost 'generic' pharmaceuticals in the world. But similar development and success is needed in case of medical technology (MedTech), one of the other main component of healthcare ecosystem alongwith pharmaceuticals and services. It includes variety of technology-based devices, diagnostics, equipment etc. Currently 2/3rd of India's MedTech market constitutes high-priced imports from other countries. Professor David Kelso of Northwestern University says, 'If people began designing devices specifically for resource-poor settings, they could come up with much better solutions.' India has to focus on becoming a hub of low-cost, innovative MedTech products and learn from the development and creation of innovative MedTech industries in Israel and Singapore. It can facilitate entrepreneurial and start-up ecosystem through public-academic-private partnership (PAPP). The MedTech market in India is substantial and can't be ignored with majority of low and mid-income consumers. MedTech spend in India is estimated to grow from US$ 6 billion (Rs 36000 crore) today to over US$ 40 billion (Rs 250000 crore) in 2025. Read on...

The Hindu: India can be more than a pharma hub
Author: Siraj Dhanani

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 10 may 2014

Harvard School of Public Health estimates the financial burden of NCD's (Non-communicable Diseases like cancer, cardiac ailments and diabetes) in India at US$ 6.2 trillion from 2012 to 2030. The current state of India's urban healthcare system is insufficient to effectively handle this challenge. But this also provides an opportunity to create and develop India specific healthcare models to fill this gap. Focus should be on urban mass market that is estimated to be 450 million with healthcare spending of Rs 200,000 crore by 2020. Karan Singh and Parijat Ghosh of Bain & Company suggest 4A's for private healthcare companies to effectively tap this market - (1) Awareness: Government and private players should create awareness by focusing on prevention as its most cost effective. (2) Access: Private sector should create a large network of facilities to provide standardized care at low cost that should include diagnostic centers, hospitals and nursing homes. (3) Affordability: Expansion of health insurance is required, particularly in middle class as currently it is below 10%. Lack of coverage hinders many urban Indians to get regular check-ups or early treatment thus increasing the healthcare costs in long-term. (4) Acceptable quality: Minimum acceptable healthcare standards have to be evolved to scale up quickly. Certification for facilities should be less onerous. Read on...

The Economic Times: Urban India's healthcare requires holistic, disruptive and collaborative solutions
Authors: Parijat Ghosh, Karan Singh

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 feb 2014

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), representing more than 100,000 medical professionals, is developing programs to contribute and improve the healthcare in India. According to AAPI president Dr. Jayesh Shah, the plan is underway to collaborate with government and launch Swasthya India platform to utilize the expertise of the Indian origin doctors for better healthcare to India's population. In a recent meeting with various stakeholders of the Indian healthcare system, the priorities that were discussed include - improving overall quality standards and accreditation process for hospitals; standardization of protocols and strong audit and tracking system; improved collaboration between hospitals and academic institutions; promote medical research. Read on...

PharmaBiz: American physicians of Indian origin extend support to improve healthcare quality in India
Author: Joseph Alexander

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 feb 2014

Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) on their website mentions that according to Frost & Sullivan, Indian healthcare industry (hospitals, medical infrastructure, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, health insurance and medical equipment) is expected to grow to US$ 160 billion by 2017 from US$ 79 billion in 2012. As the demand for quality healthcare grows, private equity funds are raising capital to invest in Indian healthcare companies. Bain & Co. report says that US$ 1.3 billion of risk capital was invested in healthcare businesses in 2012. Moreover according to Venture Intelligence there were 25 deals totaling US$ 351.5 million in the first half of 2013. Read on...

The Economic Times: Private Equity ups investment spend in India's Healthcare sector
Author: Biswarup Gooptu

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 06 dec 2013

According to Dr. Madhav Deo, member of Academic Council of MCI (Medical Council of India), the estimated 90% of healthcare providers in rural India aren't even graduates. While mentioning the government's recent scheme to create mid-level rural healthcare professionals by providing a Bachelor of Science in Community Health, he also said that it will not completely solve the rural healthcare challenges and there has to be a nationwide debate regarding the condition of rural healthcare and solutions have to be evolved. India's healthcare direction seems to be similar to what US has gone through in 20th century, particularly regarding the state of healthcare education. This bleak period in US medical education history is often referred to as Pre-Flexner Era. Abraham Flexner, an educator, submitted a report regarding the condition of medical education in 1908, and provided the recommendations that became the blueprint defining the future of healthcare in US. It considered Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as the benchmark and model for medical schools in US and helped standardize medical education all across the country. India may not have to fully copy and adopt this model but it has to create its own ideal medical school considering local realities (AIIMS can be a model to follow) and standardize medical education in the country with strict norms and conditions keeping in mind the numerous challenges and issues that medical education and healthcare services delivery are currently facing in the country. Read on...

India.com: Is the government pushing medical education into the dark ages?
Author: Nirmalya Dutta

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 oct 2013

The recent study conducted on 40 hospitals with innovative strategies in India by Prof. Vijay Govindarajan and Prof. Ravi Ramamurti of Harvard University, advocates emulation of low-costs and technology innovations happening in Indian hospitals. Considering that the global economic slowdown is affecting the healthcare delivery it is valuable to understand and apply these cost saving methods that are a result of constant experimentation, adaptation and necessity. Some of these methods include - shortening length of sutures to reduce waste by doctors; low cost manual small incision cataract surgery; reducing heal-time by performing angioplasties through the wrist rather than the groin; use of technology that allows a single cornea to be sliced and used for more than one transplant patient; mix of low-cost healthcare workers and highly focused specialists; surgeons performing more procedures annually as compared to US; use of beating-heart method of surgery without shutting down patient's heart during operation. Read on...

The Times of India: Emulate India's innovation in healthcare: Harvard study
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 05 oct 2013

In a recent study by School of Pharmacy at University College London it was mentioned that the healthy life expectancy in India is only about 55 years due to the high residual rates of infection in poorer communities and increasing prevalence of disabling chronic diseases. The research estimates that non-communicable diseases already cost India equivalent to 12.5% of GDP in lost welfare terms. According to Prof. David Taylor, the co-author of the study, India currently spends a bit more than 1% of GDP on publicly funded healthcare and only about 0.1% of GDP on publicly funded medicines. He recommends that India should seriously focus on universal healthcare coverage and increasing the supply of essential medicines for its poorer citizens. Considering India's global strategic importance the healthcare issues here may have larger impact on the world. Read on...

Pharma Times: India urged to prioritise healthcare for citizens
Author: Kevin Grogan

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 sep 2013

Recent study conducted by IMS Institute for Health Informatics found that healthcare services in India are more concentrated and focused towards urban population which makes up only 28% of the total population while having access to 66% of the available hospital beds. On the contrary rural population of 72% have access to only 1/3rd of the hospital beds. Moreover insufficiencies in public healthcare facilities is driving people to chose private in-patient service providers, 61% rural patients and 69% urban patients in 2012 as compared to 40% in 1986-87. According to Mr. Arun Maira, member of the Planning Commission, 'the healthcare system in India is not delivering affordable, acceptable and accessible healthcare to all Indians - which must be the test of its quality.' Read on...

The Economic Times: Rural India's access to healthcare patchy: Study
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 sep 2013

South-East Asian countries like Philippines and Indonesia are evolving themselves into knowledge-based economies by focusing on skills development of their workforce. This is creating a more competitive scenario for India in the Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) space. According to Gopi Natarajan, CEO of Omega Healthcare, India seems to be losing its competitive advantage due to lack of availability of skilled human resources and the government's tax and regulatory policies that result in a difficult business environment and fail to provide basic infrastructure support. US Affordable Care Act under the Obamacare legislation and ICD-10 medical coding system, both to be enforced in 2014, will bring additional opportunities for BPO and KPO companies. India has to leverage its human resources advantage by imparting valuable skills to the graduates to remain competitive and at leadership position in the global BPO and KPO space. Read on...

PHARMABIZ: India losing edge in KPO to South East Asia's knowledge-based economies - Omega chief
Author: Nandita Vijay

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