Priority should be given for medical and diagnostic devices park in Kerala: MR Pradeep

Chennai, August 27, 2021:

The pharma policy makers and industry visionaries who prepare proposals and projects for developing pharma park in Kerala should also focus their attention on the area of medical and diagnostic devices which are terribly needed in a consumer state like Kerala which is importing all these apparatus and tools from other states and countries.

Even for the disposable needles and syringes, Kerala is depending on other countries. Today, for administering Covid-19 vaccines the entire country requires millions and millions of needles and syringes. Unfortunately, the country has to depend on other countries for these items, and as far as Kerala is concerned it is fully import dependent, says M R Pradeep, former deputy drugs controller and chief executive officer (CEO) of Pharma First, a pharma consulting company in Ernakulam district.

He said Kerala is a lucrative market for all kinds of medical as well as diagnostic devices. None of the domestic players is able to manufacture and supply a product for the total requirement of the state. This highlights the fact that the state needs manufacturers of medical devices on the lines of pharma companies.

In a telephonic interview with Pharmabiz in response to the joint proposal by KPMA and KPGA for a pharma park in the state, he said Kerala is depending on other states for a major quantity of its medication requirement, but in the case of medical devices the state is fully import dependent. So, a dedicated high technology medical devices park is the need of the hour and priority should be given to that area rather than to pharma park. Pradeep said if one manufacturing facility for medical and diagnostic devices is set up in Kerala, the state can efficiently manufacture all the diagnostic and therapeutic equipment required for its healthcare management. The domestic production will lead to supply of these devices at lower costs, he said.

According to Pradeep who is running the consulting firm, Pharma First, sees multiple opportunities for employment for medical technology graduates and pharmacy professionals once a cluster of pharma and medical devices manufacturing units is established in Kerala. The government and the pharma sector should give priority to the medical devices park which has immense scope for growth in Kerala.

“Kerala is a fertile land for multinationals and major players of the medical devices industry which can boost the medical technology industry also. Medical devices industry requires high technology which is not amply available in India and in our state it is zero available. Even today India is importing about 90 percent of the medical and diagnostic devices from foreign countries. This is the time for the state to explore the opportunities in the medical devices industry and find out the challenges ahead. Similarly, the domestic manufacturers who are very few in number, should view the present period as an opportunity for growth and to diversify their business,” he told Pharmabiz.

Talking about the industry in Kerala, the pharma and medical devices consultant said the demand for medical devices in the state is increasing every day because of the rising number of healthcare institutions. Unlike the states in north India, many of the south Indian states lack the production of medical equipment and diagnostic devices. The state’s production of these devices to aid the medical profession is much less than the actual need. The companies which are engaged in the production concentrate mainly on items like orthopedic appliances, heart valve manufacturing, sutures manufacturing and IV set. For all other significant items Kerala depends on other states. So, the pharma industry and the medical profession sector should focus their attention on those medical devices manufacturing industries which are not in Kerala at present.

When asked whether his consulting firm wants to submit a proposal to the state government, MR Pradeep said Pharma First is planning to hold a discussion with KPMA and the Indian Medical Devices Manufacturers Association to work out a comprehensive proposal for Kerala. PharmaBiz