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Kerala is accelerating medical technologies by promoting fundamental research to update the State’s delivery of public services amid a 'sustained era of viral diseases', Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.
The government is implementing steps that ensure prompt action to counter any kind of healthcare exigencies by ensuring sufficient availability of quality professionals, she said after inaugurating the ‘Health Tech Summit 2022’ envisaged as a common platform for a whole range of stakeholders in the sector.
“We are a State that carried out Covid-19 control measures even before the WHO announced protocols around the global pandemic. For this, our experience in countering the Nipah virus (that broke out in mid-2018) was of enormous help,” the Minister recalled after inaugurating the event. “More virus attacks may come. We are set to face them.”
Sustainable development
The Health Department envisions sustainable development to tackle future challenges, she noted at the opening session of the day-long conclave, where experts from across the country would discuss the latest trends and innovations in health technology.
Organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with Kerala’s Ministry of Health and Caritas Hospital, the summit features 35 speakers and aims to capitalise on the prospects of the State’s status as a frontrunner in wellness. The other partners are IT Kerala, State Family Welfare Department, eHealth Kerala and technology business incubator TIMed.
Other officials participate
Health and Family Welfare Department Principal Secretary Rajan N. Khobragade said KFON (Kerala fibre optic network) has been enabling radical advancements in the digitisation of the state’s health sector. “Healthtech start-ups must make full use of the favourable conditions,” he added.
State Digital Health Mission Director K Mohammed Y Safarulla, briefing about five pillars which supporting the endeavour to keep the health record of every citizen, spoke about the importance of algorithms and analytics in the sector. “These help us take the technologies to the next level,” he said.
India Accelerator Managing Partner Deepak Nagpal said his five-year-old organisation is poised to partner with IT Kerala to launch H-Catalyst as a programme that promotes technology for better healthcare by involving 15 start-ups. “Also, we will be providing mentorship to the doctors and other healthcare experts in the partnership,” he said.
KSUM Chief Executive Officer John M Thomas said technology-assisted intervention can herald a new revolution in Kerala’s healthcare.
Caritas Hospital and Educational Institutions Director Fr Binu Kunnath highlighted the need for technological leaps for a complete solution to all diseases around the world. “What we need is a comprehensive healthcare,” Kunnath said.
HealthTech Summit 2022 has been scheduled at a time when health tech is the country’s fastest-growing start-up sector after fintech. The debates will be on the challenges in health-related data leveraging, with start-ups getting an opportunity to showcase their products and services to the hospitals and healthcare administrators.
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