New Delhi: Being aware of the fact that India is still dependent on import of medical devices, a Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare has suggested to the Government to improve the Research and Development (R&D) infrastructure in the country.
The committee observes that India imported medical devices worth USD 8.5 billion in 2021-22 and the corresponding export figure for 2021-22 was only USD 2.9 billion. "Manufacturing of high-end technology devices would require evolved medial devices sector having a robust research and development infrastructure and trained workforce, therefore, the government must arrive towards improving R&D infrastructure in the country," the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Welfare headed by Rajya Sabha MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav said in its 138 report submitted to the Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar.
The committee is of the firm view that three segments like electronic equipment's, implants and surgical instruments account for the highest imports in the medical devices sector. "These segments include highly important and widely used high-end technology devices such as CT scanners, MRI, Ultrasound and X-Ray machines, knee and hip implants, dental fixtures, cancer diagnostics and other sophisticated surgical instruments," the committee said.
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Admitting that India has a huge growth potential in manufacturing of medical devices, the committee suggested for a well-coordinated inter-ministerial and inter-governmental (centre and State) strategies aimed at offering manufacturers competitive advantage in manufacturing in India that will result in importers finding it more profitable to manufacture in India than to import it.
To realise the goal of making India a USD 50 billion market by 2050, all the three pillars of the medical devices sector government, industry and academia should work in synergy on a common vision and roadmap, the committee said. "With the ultimate goal of becoming "self reliant" the focus should be on increasing the manufacturing capacity by having a simplified yet effective regulatory regime and liberal taxation system," the committee said.
It further suggested the government to focus and invest in R&D in premier technological institutions like IITs. The committee in its report has found that 80 per cent dependency on imported products is primarily due to lack of high end technology and poor availability of raw materials.
"The government must incentivise such institutes, start-ups, manufacturing units which are engaged in manufacturing in raw materials and spare parts locally," the committee said in its report. It said that the pricing of medical devices should also take into consideration the cost of the manufacturing and the value the medical devices adds to the patient experience and ease it brings to the physician.
"The department for promotion of industry and internal trade should strike a balance between providing affordable healthcare and providing quality healthcare," the committee said in its report.
