IHF lists 50 hospitals as India's medical tourism destinations

The Indian Healthcare Federation (IHF), a grouping of private hospitals, diagnostic centres, medical equipment manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, is to hand over a list of 50 hospitals, spread across 15 cities, to the Central Government as potential centres for medical tourism. The details are meant to be publicized internationally by the government to boost health tourism in the country.

IHF and the CII National Committee on Healthcare have jointly prepared the list on the request from the task force on health tourism formed by the ministry of tourism and ministry of health.

According to Dr. Naresh Tehran, president IHF and executive director, Escorts Heart Institute, a sub-committee of the federation compiled the list. " The list is not final and would be upgraded every six months so as to incorporate others as well," he said.

The hospitals that have entered the first list of IHF include the Apollo Group institutions, Escorts Hospital Group, Wockhardt Hospitals, Fortis Hospitals, Max Healthcare, Mallya Hospital, Manipal Education and Medical Group, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Shankara Netralaya, Sri Ramachandra Medical College, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Kovai Medical Centre, K G Hospital, Care Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, B M Birla Heart Research Centre, Ravindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Ruby General Hospital, Westbank Hospital, Woodlands Hospital, Asian Heart Institute, Bombay Hospital Medical Research Centre, Breach Candy Hospital Trust, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, P D Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Batra Hospital & Medica Research Centre, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre, Rockland Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, VIMHANS, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Ruby Hall Clinic and GNRC Heart Institute. The only two hospitals dealing with alternative system of medicines that have been in the list are Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakal and Soukya International.

(Ref : CHRONICLE PHARMABIZ Dated November 25, 2004)

Medtronic, Novo team to enhance diabetes management

The Diabetes business unit of Medtronic, Inc, the world leader in insulin pump therapy, and Novo Nordisk have entered into an agreement to develop the first prefilled cartridges designed for use with Paradigm external insulin pumps. The two companies also agreed to conduct clinical studies and expand medical education highlighting the benefits of maintaining good blood glucose (sugar) control in people with diabetes who use U-100 NovoLog (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) and Paradigm pump therapy.

Prefilled cartridges containing NovoLog are expected to offer a convinient option for people using Paradigm pump therapy.

Currently, pump users must transfer insulin every two to three days from a vial to a reservoir that fits inside their pump. When available, prefilled cartridges will eliminate this manual transfer process, simplifying pump therapy for Paradigm insulin pump users, Medtronic said in a realese.

"The benefits of using NovoLog in an insulin pump to achieve good blood glucose control are well-documented," said Martin Soeters, president of Novo Nardisk Inc. "Our partnership with Medtronic supports our goal to improve diabetes treatment in the United States by pairing the market's leading insulin analog," he added.

In addition to developing prefilled cartridges, the companies intend to initiate clinical studies to demonstrate the advantage of NovoLog insulin and Paradigm pump therapy over other insulin therapies. The partners will also create medical education initiatives highlighting the importance of maintaining target A1C of less than 7.0 per cent. A1C is the per cent haemoglobin with glucose attached, and an indicator of long-term glycemic control.

(Ref : CHRONICLE PHARMABIZ Dated December 2, 2004)