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India needs to step up its efforts in the field of healthcare by improving the state of its medical equipment, instruments, devices and software, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry. The summit, with Germany as partner country, focussed on issues concerning healthcare with emphasis on the state of medical equipment, instruments, devices and software vis-a-vis EU countries and the US. The IT solutions will range from simple touch-screen information kiosks to simulation of surgeries and the country has great potential in this field, the CII said in its theme paper.

There has already been an effective use of software to control medical devices and for input functionality of most of the medical equipment. The use of world wide web in the healthcare industry was another revolutionary factor as it provided for greater reach and accessibility, it said adding that many of the country’s existing primary health centres could be upgraded to provide basic healthcare and awareness information through electronic media.

Stating that telemedicine also had a large scope in India

Meanwhile, several different standards had to be met for exporting medical equipment as the US and EU countries have laid down detailed standards for the medical equipments and devices sector, CII said. The paper further emphasised the need to develop standards and necessary testing facilities in Indian situation. Alreay there is some progress in this direction and the `new drug’ definition will now include modern devices like syringes and delivery systems such as skin patches and implants.

Becton Dickinson India, a leading producer of medical devices, plans to launch a number of new products and increase the capacity utilisation of its existing manufacturing facility without any fresh investment. The company, a 100 percent subsidiary of the $3.2 billion Becton Dickinson, plans to introduce a number of products like intravenous and central venous catheters, sample collection tubes and a unique medical `sharp waste segregation’ system, senior company officials told PTI.

The company has no immediate fresh investment plans, but would approach the Foreign Investment Promotion Board after deciding on a new line of products to be produced in India. The Bawla plant, on a 12 acre plot, has space for a new unit of same size when required in future. The company also plans to introduce `auto destruct’ syringes which by design ensure they can be used only once, and `uniject’, a vaccine-syringe combination which would contain the right dose of vaccine already loaded in a single use disposable syringe.

Becton Dickinson India had earlier launched a unique sharp waste segregation system developed specially for

Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics exports are likely to treble to Rs.36,675 crore by 2004-05 from Rs.11,797 crore in 1998-99 provided the sectors get necessary policy support from the government, basic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics export promotion council (Chemexcil) Chairman Ramu S Deora said in New Delhi. "The sector has the potential to export three times of the present exports by 2004-05, but to achieve the target, policy initiatives such as treatment of deemed exports at par with physical exports and simplification of taxation system would be needed," Chemexcil chief said.

He said, duty entitlement passbook scheme (DPEB) should be made WTO compliant to avoid imposition of anti-dumping duties and deemed exports should be treated at par with physical exports. "The spirit behind the export-friendly policy has to reach the grassroots levels of implementation. Hence the exporting community, instead of spending time in exploring potential global markets was compelled to spend time and energy with the regulatory

Mr Deora said some developed countries such as USA, EU and Japan had introduced various trade barriers like anti-dumping, labour standards and other nontrade related aspects to product their own interests. "On the international front, government should undertake intense economic diplomacy in meeting the challenges posed by newer forms of trade barriers," he said.

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