Sustainable innovations in medical devices and healthcare delivery systems, including a shift of emphasis to home care from hospital care, are helping to bring great changes in the healthcare sector in the country and across the world.
Speakers at the CII Kerala Health Tourism and Global Ayurveda Summit stressed the need for stakeholders in the healthcare system to be proactive in adapting to the changes in technology and delivery models.
Chairing the session on Sustainable Innovation in Healthcare, C Padmakumar, Special Officer, Kerala Medical Technology Consortium, drew attention to the problem of high levels of plastic usage in the healthcare sector. The healthcare sector contributed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s plastic material consumption, and there is an increasing awareness of the need for developing alternative materials in view of the challenges posed by climate change, he said.
Natural rubber and coir in Kerala could be tapped as good resources for developing alternative materials in medical devices. Padmakumar also mentioned the attempts to develop urine catheter bags using natural rubber replacing the plastic.
Sabarigirish K Chief Operating Officer Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute said innovations should benefit the three main stakeholders – patients, doctors, hospitals -- in the healthcare value chain. He has listed a series of technologies helping to eliminate many structural deficiencies, including time management, hospital visits and registrations.
According to him, major changes are on the horizon in diagnosis and treatment protocols. Traditional medicine is being replaced with precision medicine, with treatments increasingly focusing on personalised medical solutions. The development in genomics combined with the enormous data processing capacity is making personalised medical solutions a reality. The advancements in early detection technologies, such as HPV Testing in detecting cervical cancer, are making prevention better than cure a reality, he added.
Athul Joseph Manuel, Vice President of IMA Cochin, spoke about the major changes in creating electronic medical records (EMR) aided by artificial intelligence. Stressing the importance of innovations to bring affordable healthcare to all in the country, he pointed out the current high cost of healthcare prevailing in the country. Nearly 55 million people in the country are pushed into poverty every year due to healthcare expenditure, and out of this, 38 million end up below the poverty line segment.