Union Minister, Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has, on Monday, inaugurated "MedTech Mitra," a groundbreaking initiative by ICMR Delhi and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), supported by Niti Aayog.MedTech Mitra will hand-hold innovators and help them...
MedTech Mitra will hand-hold innovators and help them in getting regulatory approval. This new platform, along with the recent medical devices policy and the production-linked incentive scheme, will together provide a boost to the medical devices sector and encourage domestic manufacturing of these devices, the minister said.
MedTech Mitra streamlines MedTech R&D with preclinical & clinical support, collaboration initiatives, & funding opportunities. It is a primary step towards building a robust, self-reliant ecosystem for affordable & accessible healthcare in India.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said, "MedTech Mitra is a platform that will help the young talents of the country by holding their hands and giving them final shape to their research, knowledge, logic and help them in getting regulatory approval."
"The medical devices sector is an essential and integral constituent of India’s healthcare sector. Pursuing the vision of Viksit Bharat, India is taking a holistic approach to health with a vision to transform the health landscape in the country by 2047, " added Dr. Mandaviya.
MedTech Mitra will empower emerging start-ups and ensure ease of innovation, ease of doing research and development, ease of rendering service in building an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Highlighting the fast pace of growth in technology, Dr. Mandaviya added “Due to the developments taking place in sectors like Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Virtual Reality, Nano Technology, the medical device sector is changing rapidly today.”
Lauding the initiative and efforts of the innovators and youth, Dr. Mandaviya stated “There is immense power among the innovators, researchers and start-up youth in the country who know how to do Research and Logic Development. If one gets help at the approval stage itself, then wonders can be achieved which will take India miles ahead in becoming Atmanirbhar and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat”
Underlining the alignment of MedTech Mitra with the medical devices ecosystem as well as overall boosting the growth and development of health domain, Dr. V.K Paul, Member Health, Niti Aayog, said, “This platform will serve to strengthen India’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, further consolidating reach of healthcare services to the innermost corners of the nation to become an integral aspect of Viksit Bharat.”
Earlier this month, ICMR signed a Memorandum of Agreement with AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research) for a new faculty of "Medical Research" that has been created at AcSIR. This is a significant development towards making AcSIR a multi-disciplinary Research Institution for promotion of cutting-edge research in cross-disciplinary areas. This would provide much needed impetus to the medical research in India.