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VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2 MARCH - APRIL 2021 INR 100/-

The Human Vaccines MedTech start-ups in Work-Life Roller Coaster of Project (HVP) India Indian Women in Science

by Dr. Frans van den Boom by Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee by Dr. Sarita Jaiswal Readers Feedback A Brief Review on InnoHEALTH Most liked article of the last Issue....

Feedback and Testimonials

Fight Corona IDEAthon & Mega Supporting Nurses & Midwives Solving Diabetic Retinopathy Online Challenge SAMADHAN webinar diagnosis through Artificial Intelligence webinar It is a huge crowd and immense responses ...you Panel Discussion on Supporting Nurses and guys are managing it well Midwives in Pandemic COVID-19 was very Thank you for giving me this opportunity to join Sujith R interesting and informative. SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Sheetal Kothare such an informative webinar like this. I enjoyed Center Assistant Professor a lot and learned a lot hoping for more webinars SRM IDT, India L. T. College of Nursing, in future on different topics. SNDT Women’s University, India Yashwant Technohand Congratulations to all the teams, mentors and Sales & service Engineer not to forget - the organizing teams; you pulled Technovision India Pvt Ltd, India out a great initiative and took it to the logical Working with you all was a good experience, I conclusion - Great! really appreciate the efforts and the coordination Diabetic Retinopathy webinar was very useful. A loud shout to the Organizing Team - Its not by your team. Speakers presentation was very excellent easy to get all this planned, coordinated and Manju Chhugani Hemapriya Prabakarane executed flawlessly - Hats off! Atul Bengeri Professor & Dean Assistant Professor Director Jamia Hamdard, India Vinayaka Missions College of Nursing, India AcumenToday, India Miscellaneous To Forge and IC - You guys pulled it off! A first- The session was very informative.we got different of-its-kind 100% Digital Ideathon. Hats off to options & suggestions by panelists to handle the I would like to express my gratitude to the chief editor and editorial team of “InnoHealth” for the excellent the whole team. You brought so many Indians COVID19 pandemic. Thanks to the support of coverage in the magazine published. The positive together to synergize on a country-wide problem. the organiser. exposure you gave me on the International Nursing The commitment, the program structure, crisis day - praising, thanking and protecting nurses management was commendable! Cheers to Debashree Dash amid COVID-19 challenges segment provided the Nurse Educator everyone from your team who worked behind community with a nice introduction to our goals and the scenes too! Sri Sathya Sai institute of Arjun Ramakrishnan higher medical sciences services. Neha Lal Asst. Manager - Innovation India Sr. General Manager National Life and General Insurance Company SAOG, GCS Medical College, India Oman

2 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 EXECUTIVE OPINION Atmanirbhar Bharat ealthcare has been neglected so long but Covid 19 has forced all stakeholders to change their mindset to place healthcare as number one priority. Country created additional beds overnight, started manufacturing PPEs, oximeters, and ventilators. HNew vaccines against Covid have been produced by India. We are now not only self-reliant in these products but even exporting to other countries. Research and development, innovations and manufacturing has become utmost priority for the Government. This year’s budget has boosted fund allocation to healthcare hence opportunities too. The vaccine diplomacy of India is lauded even by WHO for humanitarian consideration.

Taking a holistic approach to Health, the focus of budget is on strengthening three areas: Preventive, Curative, and Wellbeing. A new centrally sponsored scheme, PM AtmaNirbhar Dr. V K Singh Swasth Bharat Yojana, will be launched with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crores over six Editor-in-Chief & MD, years. This will develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care, making robust InnovatioCuris health systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This will be in addition to the National [email protected] Health Mission. The Budget outlay for Health and Wellbeing is Rs 2,23,846 crores in year 2021-22 as against earlier of Rs 94,452 crores an increase of 137 percent. Additionally, Rupees 35,000 crores for Covid-19 vaccine has been provided in this year’s budget. Pneumococcal Vaccine, a Made in India product, is presently limited to only 5 states and will be rolled out across the country. This will avert more than 50,000 child deaths annually. Indeed, allocating resources and push by the Prime Minister is commendable.

Swachh Bharat Mission would organize cleanliness of urban India, by focusing on complete faecal sludge management and waste water treatment, source segregation of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic, reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction-and-demolition activities and bio-remediation of all legacy dump sites. The Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 will be implemented with a total financial allocation of Rs 1,41,678 crores over a period of 5 years from year 2021-2026. Nutrition, safe drinking water to all, pollution free air is also the focus of the government to improve quality of life and resources too have been allocated for these initiatives.

A holistic approach and taking care of the common man approach by the government is commendable, but what is important is impact analysis, strict control and judicious use of funds. These initiatives should not end up like “Health for All by 2000” and “National Rural Health Mission” which failed not for lack of funds but for want of judicious control. Another initiative is “National Digital Health Mission” which would be able to provide appropriate technology to control and course correction. What is more important is implementation to translate the outcome on ground. This is the best time for healthcare opportunities created out of necessity and the government has also made resources available for the same. We compliment healthcare warriors and frontline workers to make others live where some even did at the cost of their lives.

Let us get views from readers of magazines to bring out issues and possible solutions and we would reach out to policy makers. Let us use the knowledge platform we have created in the format of club, webinars, conference, awareness, training and panel discussion time to time. We are also striving to make new concepts, tools and techniques known in the health sector like Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Ideathon and Hackathons to find problems and solutions for government and private sector in India and abroad. We would be glad to have your feedback to improve our initiatives and also collaborate if required.

Let us make India “Atmanirbhar Bharat” to fulfil dream of the Prime Minister and make us feel proud in the world. It would also bring new opportunities to its people and a better quality of life; the government has done its bit by allocation of resources and let us do our role.

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Editor-in-Chief Global Editorial Board Dr. V K Singh Dr. Sunita Chauhan, Director, Executive Editor Robotics & Mechatronics Engineering Program, Monash University, Australia Sachin Gaur Dr. Sarita Jaiswal, Chief Scientific Officer at Carpere, Editors University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada Alok Chaudhary Dr. Jaanus Pikani, MD Chairman Dr. Brijender Singh Dhillon ScanBalt & Tartu Biotechnology Park, Estonia Dr. Avantika Batish Tanya Spisbah, Director Parthvee Jain Australia India Institute, Delhi, India

Associate Editor Prof. Dalena Van Rooyen, Executive Dean (Acting) Dr. Debleena Bhattacharya Faculty of Health Sciences Nelson Mandela University, South Africa

Dr. Annie George Chandy, Innovation Manager Creative Editor Lund University, Sweden Clarion Smith Kodamanchili Dr. Debbie Wake, CEO & Chief Medical Officer Senior Designer MywayDigitalHealth, United Kingdom Neha Prakash Dr. Khalid Moidu, CIO Hofstra University, United States of America Business Development Editor Sanjay Gaur Printed and Published by Sachin Gaur (Contact for ads +91 9711777328) on behalf of InnovatioCuris Private Limited Printed at InnovatioCuris Private Limited Advisory Board Editor: Sachin Gaur Thumbay Moideen, Founder DCP Licensing number: F.2.(I-10) Press/2016 President, THUMBAY Group, UAE RNI: DELENG/2016/69964 Sandipan Gangopadhyay © InnovatioCuris Private Limited President and COO at GalaxE.Solutions, USA All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval Prof. Paul Lillrank system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or Professor at Aalto University, Finland otherwise, without the prior permission from InnovatioCuris Private Limited.

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Readers are requested to verify and make appropriate enquires to satisfy themselves about the veracity of the advertisements before responding to any published in this magazine. Sachin Gaur, the Publisher, Printer and Editor of this magazine, does not vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any the advertiser’s products and/or services. In no event can the Publisher, Printer and Editor of this magazine/ company be held responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever for any claims and / or damage for advertisements in this magazine. Authors will be solely responsible for any issues arising due to copyright infringements and authenticity of the facts and figures mentioned in their articles. InnoHEALTH magazine is not liable for any damages/copyright infringements.

4 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 CONTENTS

PERSONA The Human Vaccines Project (HVP) by Dr. Frans van den Boom 06 MedTech start-ups in India by Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee 09 Genesis of InnoHEALTH magazine and its journey of last four years 12 From the Desk of Dr. Debleena Bhattacharya, Associate Editor, InnoHEALTH THEME Digital Health Mission 14 Work-Life Roller Coaster of Indian Women in Science 17

INNOVATIONS Healthcare Trends 20

WELL-BEING Predatory bacteria: a potential solution for combating superbugs? 25 Impact of Covid-19 on the Global Telemedicine Market 27

IN FOCUS Chasing The Art of Acceptance 29 Your guide to the best ways of burning fat rapidly 32

RESEARCH Digitalisation of Health to improve Universal Health Coverage in India 34

The Duality of Identity Faced By Athletes 37

NEWSCOPE Latest news in healthcare 39 Pilot initiatives of using digital health technologies to promote evidence based tele-medicine 52 practice during COVID 19 period in rural India

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 5 NEWSCOPE RESEARCH IN FOCUS WELL-BEING INNOVATIONS THEME PERSONA The Human Vaccines Project (HVP) where vaccines often do not work well. in vulnerable groups such as older adults understand how well such vaccines work vaccines have successful, and so to been to understand how and why COVID-19 CVI is working with industrial partners perhaps stop next the before it The starts. ic to enable it to better respond to and ble from current the COVID-19 pandem- seeks The to learn as CVI muchpossi- as tiative (CVI). de Bruxelles; and COVID the Vaccine Ini- Children’s Hospital, and Université Libre Immunityborn Initiative Cincinnati and Telethon the Kids Institute, New the - Initiative, a partnership HVP between Public Health; Newborn the Immunity with Harvard the T.H. Chan of School Immunomics Initiative, a collaboration The project threehas thepillars: Human era inhuman health. system fightsand disease pioneer a new questions about how human the immune profits and governments to answer core research centers, industrial non partners, - Project brings together leading academic apies across major The diseases. global velopment of vaccines and immunother immune system and accelerate de- the with a mission human the to decode is anonprofit public-privatepartnership A. pandemic. covid-19 anyplanned support actions during the you represent and ifyour organisation Q. Tell us briefly about the organisation pandemic. amid covid-19 joined theHuman Vaccines Project threeyears ago Director. asan Executive Qatar Foundation director asExecutive and of also the Dutch Top and Health. Sciences Life sector He Directorand asExecutive resource of Policy,planning mobilization. heserved Earlier and evaluation at vaccine preparedness and community mobilization program, and sciences behavioral programs, thesocial Director Europe of theInternational AIDSVaccine Initiative (IAVI) for ten years, heisresponsible for Dr. astheVice Frans and President, Programs Regional hasserved van and Boom den Country Executive Sachin Gaur interviews him on his viewpoints about himon the initiatives hisviewpoints GaurSachin interviews taken by The Human Vaccines Project 6 The Human Vaccines Project (HVP) Volume 6 PERSONA | Issue 2 | March -April 2021 - er, Iam optimistic that SARS-CoV-2 and A. As always, future the tell. Howev will - or to istoo early good, say that. haschangedthat for Covid-19 think derstanding prior you Do to covid-19. mous time and money, that wasour un- Q. Vaccine development enor takes pandemic before it starts. vaccine capablerus of stopping next the forwardthinking to auniversal coronavi- ing about how to stop next the pandemic, The CVI is now the at forefront - think of space. world’s leading researchers COVID inthe dispensable, unbiased updates from the ing and COVIDhas provided Report in- throughThe CVI Lab its Global - Meet - cine campaigns ingeneral? cine campaigns prove thecommunication around vac- it better? Also,done to be what im- can If we were to it we again, do do how can is administered.discover as the vaccine thatgroups trials we missing inclinical safety concerns, there are population aroundis raising eyebrows, especially Q. Ashorter development vaccine cycle where we effective need vaccines. likereally HIV toughor diseases malaria across populations all and including the generate immunity that to disease works researchthe sideinunderstanding how to vances have we still much work to do on public faster than ever. Despite ad- these of seen, bringing vaccines faster to the investment and are capable, as we have forms rested on of decades research and vaccines faster than ever. plat These new - others that have allowed us to develop now have platforms such as mRNA and and immune response is necessary. We developmentfection, disease and severity, ing mechanisms basic to understand in- R&Dandinfectious underly the disease - makers that acontinuous investment in Surely has this eyesof opened the decision cost USD forwill 16trillion USonly. the ally, but there an is also estimate that it USDing between 8and- glob 16trillion currentthe end up pandemic will cost- is enormous. It estimated has been that human, cultural and economic social, toll ofmous life. aspect impact The on every agentfectious disease can have an enor pandemicThis taught has that us an in- changeCOVID-19 will things for good. - PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH NEWSCOPE 7 March - April 2021 - April March | Issue 2 Issue | Sharing real-time information if an if an information real-time Sharing as the identified is agent infectious in pandemic a (potential) of cause a vaccine. on start working to order possible as much as Communicate saying from away shy don’t and require if new insights sorry, approaches. different between a MoU Develop the international and biopharma Bank) World (WHO, community advance and market advance on other and commitments, purchase mechanisms. financing innovative Volume 6 Volume after a vaccine has has as been a vaccine such licensed after new virus against protection of the level the efficacy inthe of a vaccine variants, pre- with in people and population aging the least, not Last but morbidity. existing hesitancy vaccine for 3 categories top and (scientific evidence; knowledge religion/culture/gender/socio- awareness; but constant, relatively remain economic) (scientific category cited even the most accounted only evidencebenefit) – risk all categories of a quarter than less for and the complexity emphasizing cited, globally. hesitancy vaccine of variability public for challenge So this a daunting is health authorities. trust. (re)establish to key is I believe it being honest by trust created And is and reasonable fair, / transparent, the that showed study A recent realistic. being for determinant important most are believe people and that is vaccinated important are vaccines that confident health. That and safety their own for be to critical. going is opinion in my consistently and clearly Communicate life on vaccination of the impact about why expectancy; in understanding invest confident; some and hesitant are some accessible, immunisation in making invest Understand acceptable. and affordable social peer and and dynamics community critically is I believe it pressure. group social behavioral and involve to important the social understand to in order scientists dynamics. behavioural and prevent the barriers that are What Q. a well- and vaccine development were you If global coordinated effort. three recommendations top suggest to through world a healthier safer and for what vaccine development, timely would they be? A. people with (severe) underlying health underlying (severe) with people in the first included not were conditions but included, trials.were people Elderly means This numbers. in verynot large needed, we as are studies additional that carried are now: studies witnessing are patients, immune-depressed amongst out auto-immune with people patients, cancer an easy not is This diseases, etc. children clinical be in to fixed trials,issue because ‘healthy’ enrol you rule that the is golden between people usually and 18 volunteers, a careful and of thinking needs 55. This a lot are you if benefits and risks of balancing populations. vulnerable enrol to going post-marketing where this is Again, clinical additional or surveillance systems is distributed, trials vaccine being the after a to access down slowing without help can intervention. life-saving communication improving Thirdly, general. in campaigns vaccine around worldwide. issue a big is hesitancy Vaccine one as hesitancy vaccine identified WHO global to health. The 10 threats the top of healthauthorities public for challenge believeI COVID-19. beyond stretches new completely a entering are we that Social vaccination. paradigm around become have socialmediaand networks we as the frame, of shapers important the with countries seen in so many have opinion the vaccine; HPV of introduction - whether leaders in media, and makers make – can religion politics, science, of lack programs; vaccination break or critical issues. trust are and consistency amount the enormous given that, of top On COVID-19, on reporting on time spent of knowledgeable more becoming are people development: vaccine and vaccines about duration and level immunity, herd efficacy;of effects;halting side trials adverse severe) (serious or because of an also gaining is public The events. knowledge our in gaps of understanding diseases. and immunotherapies across major global and accelerate the development of vaccines mission to decode the human immune system nonprofit public-private partnership with a The Human Vaccines Project (HVP) is a It is important to realize here that the that here realize to important is It I believe it has been shown that a quicker a quicker that been has I believe shown it market cycle and development vaccine against go to have do not authorization industry, for the issue key is Safety safety. policy and and makers, agencies regulatory thestandard through went the vaccines That clinical process. and testing safety risks that acknowledge to have we said harms The real. but few, are vaccines from always almost are vaccines from coming seen time—allergic reactions short in a So large far. by common being the most observationtrials periods shorter with find these if to theyeven adequate are for systems also have We unusual. are are vaccines after seeking events very rare per doses), million and event in use (one traditional being used.But now those are of a lot has drug development and vaccine the of safety to add really don’t that delays policy makers said, being That product. on pressure put not should politicians and move to agencies regulatory industry and safety. jeopardize would if that faster were groups population Yes, Secondly, in the clinical trials,missing which R&D: practice in vaccine common is women, lactating and pregnant children, A. on safety. not financial, takenrisks were market to vaccines bring to able were We billions invested had so because we fast new platforms of in the development this in the decades before mRNA like around governments Second, outbreak. highly startedbuilding theworld before plants manufacturing expensive a at work knew would we the vaccines Usually capital. to risk and cost great see to if the industrythe vaccine waits before theylook like vaccines will work stretching investment an such making So the years. time to the development to due the really cycle was of acceleration willingness to and investments previous risk. take financial PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING Q. What are the other promising actually not ‘interested’ in humans at all, which prevents humans from being directions that you see coming in near but in bacteria. These ‘bacteriophages’, overwhelmed with bacteria. We would die future that can enable a healthier and or bacterial viruses destroy bacteria and without viruses. safer world? keep bacteria populations under control. Q. Any message that you would like to A. Obviously, our ability to decode Everybody carries around a huge number share with the readers of our magazine.

IN FOCUS the human immunome. The recent of microbes, known as the microbiome. convergence of technological advances in The microbiome is made up of around A. Stay safe and stay healthy. Remember biomedical, computing and engineering 100,000 billion microbes, which is more that behavioural modifications limiting sciences will lead to the next revolution than all the human cells of your body. exposure of you and those around you are in health, including but not limited to Most of these microbes are bacteria, and a crucial protection against COVID-19 vaccine discovery and development. they are vital to your health. Nevertheless, that can work together with vaccines to these bacteria need to be kept under defeat this pandemic. Q. Are all viruses bad? About 8% of the control. That is why the bacteriophages RESEARCH human genome is ancient viruses! What in your body outnumber the bacteria 10 Interviewed by is the relationship of life in general and to 1. Nature uses bacteriophages as a sort Sachin Gaur, Executive Editor, humans with viruses? Are we against of ‘biological pest control’ for bacteria, InnoHEALTH Magazine them all the time? The microbiome is made up of around 100,000 A. Viruses may have a bad reputation. Because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, billion microbes, which is more than all their reputation seems worse than ever NEWSCOPE the human cells of your body. Most of these before. However, we would not survive if our body did not host its share of viruses. microbes are bacteria, and they are vital to Wishing to be ‘virus free’, actually is a bad idea. The great majority of viruses are your health.

8 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 GUEST COLUMN PERSONA MedTech start-ups in India Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee

ndia is on the cusp of epidemiological The rapidly expanding sector presents expenditure. In comparison, Swiss only THEME transition. There is a big shift in immense opportunities to global players. pay 25% of their health expenditures out health burden from communicable of their pocket, a result of higher state Ito include non-communicable diseases, expenditures on public health, advanced MedTech market analysis which in turn is driving key MedTech social security coverage and more segments. There is a demand for both The Indian market is among top 20 widespread insurance penetration. cutting-edge precision technologies and markets globally in terms of market size. INNOVATIONS for affordable low technology. In Asia, it is 4th after China, Japan and Despite advances, health infrastructure South Korea. The MedTech sector in is not equitably distributed and overall The Indian MedTech innovationIndia was worth USD 10 bn in 2014 and is the infrastructure is well below WHO ecosystem is fast evolving and vibrant growing at 12% compound annual growth guidelines. To drive equitable healthcare, with academic research, venture capital rate (CAGR). In contrast, the global the role and market opportunity of every firms, government funding and promising MedTech market is growing annually at segment in healthcare delivery systems is start-ups developing products specifically the rate of 4.1%. paramount; given the large unmet needs for the Indian market. In many ways, the of the growing population to provide high WELL-BEING ecosystem is very reflective of the Swiss quality and affordable healthcare. MedTech innovation ecosystem. Healthcare in India Some of the key drivers for the Indian India’s MedTech market was valued at MedTech sector and the healthcare sector MedTech market are: USD 10 bn in 2014 and is expected to are interdependent. Hence, it becomes touch USD 50 bn mark by 2025. This is imperative to understand the health 1. Epidemiological transition: The in part due to India’s rising income levels, status and healthcare delivery status in health burden of India has shifted India. These inform the need of MedTech

swelling private sector investment in from communicable to include non- IN FOCUS healthcare, ageing population, growing solutions and product development. In communicable diseases. cNCDs medical tourism industry, and government 2014, India was the 6th largest global include asthma, acute bronchitis, incentives in the MedTech space. All these market in terms of size and is expected to problems of joints/ bones, hypertension, factors make India an extremely attractive rank in the top 3 by 2025. India accounts cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, market for international firms. There is a for 20% of world’s population and is cancer, etc. There is a pattern of increasing need to use MedTech effectively to address forecasted to cross 1.4 bn by 2025, of morbidity with age. Chronic NCDs have the huge gap between demand and supply which 50% will be over or below 30 years. increased over five-fold in prevalence in RESEARCH of healthcare services in India. India’s average expenditure on healthcare ageing populations especially those over over the last decade has been around 4% 60 years. Rise in NCDs has not replaced The MedTech sector in India is at G D P. communicable diseases either. a nascent stage with most of the indigenous manufacturing restricted to In India, 58% of all healthcare 2. Increasing population and Life medical consumables. In fact, imports expenditure is out-of-pocket. India has expectancy: From 1.2 bn in 2011, India’s still constitute over 75% of the current a wide socioeconomic index consisting population is set to grow to 1.4 bn by 2025. MedTech market. India is looking to of people who are able to afford world- Declining infant mortality and increasing NEWSCOPE improve self-sufficiency in MedTech as class treatment and those who are pushed life expectancy will augment the demand a part of the “Make in India” initiative. deeper into poverty due to healthcare for healthcare. Even though the Indian population is currently young – with India’s MedTech market was valued at USD 10 a median of 26 years – the population distribution is slowly changing. Indian bn in 2014 and is expected to touch USD 50 bn population over 60 years will contribute to 12.5% of the total population by 2025, mark by 2025. which means a whopping 175 m will be elderly.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 9 3. Rising income levels increases healthcare. market opportunities. affordability: Access to affordableAlthough some of the key drivers for healthcare is a major constraint for 59% the MedTech market are as stated above, b. Financing Challenges Facing of households with an annual income of the key considerations for a successful MedTech Innovators < USD 3000 per year. Households in the MedTech venture could be the following: income bracket of USD 3000 – 7500 are Globally, MedTech startups have access expected to increase to 47.5% by 2020. a. Purposeful Innovation: Solving to both grant and equity (VC) funding This increasing population group, who Indian Healthcare Challenges, One at all stages of product development. are willing to pay for better healthcare Startup at a Time Thankfully for Indian start-ups, grant PERSONA services, will be favourable for the funding for innovative MedTech projects industry. The Indian MedTech sector continues to has increased exponentially over the last be dominated by imports, which account few years. BIRAC, the funding arm of 4. Increasing Health Awareness Drives for 75per cent of the market. So far, Indian the Department of Biotechnology, has People To Seek Healthcare: In January companies have been making “me-too” been instrumental in this phenomenal 2016, India crossed 1 billion mobile phone products, which compete with MNCs development. Under the visionary

THEME subscribers mark. The ubiquitous reach primarily on affordability. However, leadership of Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, of mobile phones has made it the most there is a new crop of MedTech startups Department of Biotechnology & effective way for last mile connection. which are creating novel technologies Chairperson BIRAC, the organization has Of these 302 m had internet connections and proprietary, patented, products for funded more than 100 MedTech projects (33). Cheapest calling rates in the world healthcare challenges facing the ordinary and been instrumental in the design and increasing internet penetration are Indian. This new wave of MedTech and development of many innovative of consequence for tele, e- and mhealth. is driven by purposeful innovation- technologies addressing critical Indian This translates to an increased market i.e. innovation that addresses specific challenges. Additionally, there are opportunity for MedTech in this segment. challenges, and taps associated economic other international foundations such as

INNOVATIONS Connected devices are currently one opportunities, seen in Indian healthcare. Millennium Alliance, Gates Foundation, of the top 5 fast-growing segments in Wellcome Trust, Lemelson Foundation, MedTech in India. Globally, MedTech is a focus sector and USAID that provide grants to the for start-ups – a study of technology Indian MedTech sector. 5. Health Insurance Coverage: In 2014 incubators showed that over 25 per cent only 17% of the Indian population had of incubated start-ups were in MedTech, Venture capital investment in MedTech health insurance (34). So, the ability of the second largest sector after IT. In India startups has also been increasing over lower income groups to access quality too, startup activity in the MedTech the years- however; it is still negligible WELL-BEING healthcare still remains an impediment. sector is growing by leaps and bounds, compared to digital and consumer Government sponsored schemes account albeit from a low base. Today, there are sectors. This is largely due to the relatively for around 80% of the health insurance several startups solving Indian healthcare long timelines in MedTech - 3-5 years for coverage provided. The low penetration challenges by creating novel technologies product development and another 3-4 is set to change as the commercial health and generating a global intellectual years for commercial success. However, insurance policies have been increasing at property in the process. Startups are given the breadth of opportunities in this

IN FOCUS 10% CAGR (35). Health checkups which tackling challenges such as hypothermia sector, and the relatively low number of are mandatory for health insurance will management in premature babies, lung startups, this sector is getting increasing also rise requiring quality MedTech to infection in ventilated patients, life interest from savvy VCs and family offices. service the demand. support for babies outside the NICU, more accurate labour monitoring, vertigo c. The MedTech market- The Public 6. Medical Tourism in India: India is diagnosis, post-cardiac event monitoring, Procurement Challenge currently one of the top three destinations and screening for blindness, cancers and for medical tourism in the world. The other conditions. These startups leverage Most innovative MedTech products in

RESEARCH medical tourism industry in India is cutting-edge technologies such as machine India today have been designed and expected to grow to USD 10.3 bn by learning and artificial intelligence, along developed for low-resource, low-skill, the year 2020 from USD 2.8 bn in 2015. with electronics, mechanical engineering, public health facilities, and can transform Investments in luxury healthcare are and product design expertise, to create healthcare for low-income consumers who growing because of the strong demand for innovative, patented, products that not depend on public healthcare. However, high quality below-international prices of only serve Indian needs but address global over 90 percent of MedTech procurement in government happens through the tender system- where multiple companies NEWSCOPE The MedTech sector in India is at a nascent stage bid to supply a product, typically with most of the indigenous manufacturing competing on price. This method does not work for an innovative product, which is restricted to medical consumables. manufactured and supplied by just one company, the innovator. This systemic

10 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 issue leads to delays, and sometimes The Indian market is very unique. In Doing business in India gives a heady mix outright rejection, in deploying life-saving, India, consumers shop for healthcare. of the same extraordinary challenges and affordable, innovative, technologies that This means there’s a market for every big opportunities, mimicking that of Asia- are made for India. segment of MedTech to enable healthcare Pacific market as a whole. Worldwide, delivery. Ideas for the MedTech and healthcare systems are in great economic PERSONA A defined public procurement system, healthcare segment are plenty – stress and are increasingly demanding specifically for indigenous innovative innovative business models, working greater returns on investment. Innovating products, perhaps certified by the central directly with clinical research and for India automatically focuses on government, would go a long way in hospitals to provide customized solutions, maximum value. This learning translates getting these innovations into the public using the population as a base to inform to helping healthcare systems worldwide healthcare system, where they can save big data and analytics, developing new with their cost curve, a global opportunity. innumerable lives. Deployment of such products and manufacturing in India. India is characterized by complexity, innovations can also be supported through By 2020, Asia-Pacific will surpass the ambiguity, uncertainty. However, a THEME the creation of an Innovation Fund, which European Union in terms of size of the country with over a billion people cannot funds procurement and deployment of MedTech market, with the majority of the be ignored. To succeed, come with the relevant innovations in a pilot district- to customers beyond the premium segment. right mindset, establish local leadership, generate real-world data on effectiveness Further, individual markets that make create innovative business models, pay and outcomes, and drive nationwide Asia-Pacific are a complicated collection attention to the customer and make adoption of the best innovations. with different political systems, culture MedTech for India. INNOVATIONS and disease profiles. d. Partnership with Established MedTech Companies

After a startup develops an innovative product, it faces further challenges in manufacturing, commercialization, distribution, and service. In the West, WELL-BEING a startup typically partners with a large MedTech company, which takes on these activities. This partnering ecosystem is still nascent in India, with the result that most startups focus on these activities themselves, and not on their core competency of innovation and product development. As the ecosystem IN FOCUS matures, it is hoped that India too sees such partnerships between startups and established companies, which get these lifesaving innovations to the market faster, and allow the innovators to focus on what they do best- innovate. RESEARCH e. Product development takeaways for India

Tailoring the product to India, specifically to the market (private or public)/ region (urban or rural, specific state or city) one Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee, is currently the Mission Director of the Grand Challenges India, the flagship program of the partnership between the Department intends to sell NEWSCOPE • Cost differentiation of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, the • High quality at lower prices Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. This platform supports • Portable products that can be used at initiatives that could dramatically change the health and development landscape lower levels of health infrastructure in India. He also heads the Intellectual Property (IP) & Technology Transfer (TT) • Products requiring less training (low and Communications Division in BIRAC. In addition to the above, Dr Mukherjee operational requirement) also leads the National Health Authority (NHA) (Ayushman Bharat – PM-JAY) • Saleability at early stages of development Start-up Grand Challenges program from BIRAC. • Innovative business models

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 11 Genesis of InnoHEALTH magazine and its journey of

PERSONA last four years From the Desk of Dr. Debleena Bhattacharya, Associate Editor THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS

nnoHEALTH is a registered magazine coordinator Prime Minister office, Dr. with virtual healthcare can also be the with RNI (Registered Newspaper of Ramesh A Mashelkar, National Research medium to help people. In constraints India), Government of India. Its first Professor along with Ambassadors, times of lockdown we continued Iissue was launched by Shri J P Nadda the Academicians and Bureaucrats etc. We are e-magazine instead of printed form. then Minister of Health & Family Welfare, thankful to our readers, advisors, authors The year of lockdown has connected us

RESEARCH Govt of India in July 2016. It was his and advertisers to make the magazine a virtually and here is a brief recap of the encouragement to publish a magazine for popular knowledge platform. issues published in 2020. those who have interest in innovations in healthcare. It is now bimonthly used to be The year 2020 is something we want The upcoming issue of the magazine is quarterly and has its reach to 88,000 readers to remove from our memories but the coming in March and keeping in touch globally. We have brought 19 issues in the pandemic had a devastating effect on with the International Womens’ day we last four years. We had interviews from our life and it was a lesson in disguise bestow our gratitude to women who many global personalities to name a few for mankind to survive when the whole stood at the front lines of the COVID-19

NEWSCOPE are Dr Deepak Chopra, Dr Jeffery Sach, world is in lockdown. If we see the crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, Shri J P Nadda and Dr Harsh Vardhan, positive side of the pandemic effect then innovators, community organizers and Ministers of Government of India, Dr the crisis has made us more aware of the as some of the most exemplary and Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF head of fact that the healthcare sector needs more effective national leaders in combating the India, Lt Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant, Cyber sustainability. Online telemedicine along pandemic.

12 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 The January-March issue came with Guest column written by Maj Gen A K Singh (retd) on Telemedicine force multiplier for delivery of healthcare.This issue also incorporates the Lithuania-India Cooperation: synergies between the two regions, India – Netherlands long term relationship:

not a zero-sum game,Innovative biomarkers for early diagnosis and PERSONA treatment of life-threatening diseases, Unmet needs – leading to innovation – InnoHEALTH 2019 report and a book review of “Why we get fat and what to do about it”.

bit.ly/ih-v5i1 THEME

In the April-June issue of the magazine we saw the possible synergies for India Estonia co-operation in the field of Biotech has made a new benchmark and What it takes to organise India’s largest COVID-19 IDEAthon also was promulgated. We commemorated the contributions of Supporting Nurses

and Midwives in a pandemic situation like COVID-19 and a book review INNOVATIONS of “The Reluctant Billionaire“ also was part of this issue’s journey. The guest column on ‘Indian Healthcare Towards Global Leadership’ was wonderfully articulated by the Director of Yashoda Hospitals, Dr Upasana Arora.

bit.ly/ih-v5i2 WELL-BEING

In July-September issue of the magazine the Guest column was enlightened by celebrity author Deepak Chopra with an article on “Shakespeare, COVID, and the Plague“ and The Key Strategies to Control the Pandemic by CSIR as elucidated by director general of CSIR Dr. Shekhar C. Mande. Alongwith the above people the issue also covered an article by the then Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India IN FOCUS by Preeti Sudan on Minding Our Minds During COVID-19: Taking Mental Health “HEAD ON” and book review of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

bit.ly/ih-v5i3 RESEARCH

In the October-December issue highlighted with the Guest column by Dr. Rakesh K Mishra, Director of CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad on “Recent pandemic situation and its effects”. Also the issue featured an insightful article by Dr Anil Koul,Vice President of Johnson & Johnson on “The recent Global unprecedented

situation due to COVID-19 and measures taken to control them”.The pandemic has NEWSCOPE taken the toll and how the mankind has adapted to the new normal was explained in the article COVID-19 and Virtual Existence and many more articles.

bit.ly/ih-v5i4

With a hope to see a new dawn we marched in the next year 2021. Whenever we recall the past year it sends a shiver in our spine that we existed and faced the virus. Your continued support during the unprecedented time gave us the motivation to bestow our readers with the latest update and insights from the best possible source for the new normal.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 13 THEME

PERSONA Digital Health Mission Nidhi Gani THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS he Fourth Industrial challenges. Although the per person digital health like the rest of the world to Revolution is here and set to disease burden, measured as disability- tackle these diseases incrementally faster. herald transformation in all adjusted life year (DALY) rate, dropped in Tindustries like energy storage, quantum India by 36% from 1990 to 2016, the total On India’s 74th Independence Day computing, transportation, agriculture, disease burden has increased in all states National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) manufacturing, communications, since 1990 because of non-communicable was launched with the aim to develop, biotechnology and healthcare. Industrial diseases. These include cardiovascular design, and implement digital building

RESEARCH 4.0 has the potential to connect the world diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory blocks that are essential for an integrated and innovate like no other revolution, the diseases, mental health and neurological healthcare system. Health ID (will have pandemic has especially demanded and disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, history of the patient), DigiDoctor accelerated this in the healthcare sector cancers, and chronic kidney disease. (database of the doctors), Personal Health throughout the world and India is no India ought to jump on the bandwagon of Records (an electronic record of health- exception. During the pandemic India saw online consultation queries increase by more than 200% and overall telemedicine National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) was NEWSCOPE calls increase by 500% since March as launched with the aim to develop, design, and per report published by Practo titled, How India Accessed Healthcare. This implement digital building blocks that are may be a sign of India being ready for the digital transformation despite its diverse essential for an integrated healthcare system.

14 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING related information of an individual), plans of rural and elderly population. only 20.3% of participants were aware Health Facility Registry (single repository Is there going to be an app? How can of common causes of prevalent illness of all the health facilities in the country this technology be inclusive of the rural, and their prevention. Many patients do to promote standardization of data), uneducated and the elderly population? not adhere to medications prescribed by telemedicine and e-pharmacy are the Health equity is key to this policy the doctors and quit midway due to lack services that form part of the digital especially when the pandemic is hurting of awareness. All these unnecessarily health mission. A centralized system the poor financially hard. increase the disease burden and in turn that can connect the whole country is NDHM is a good start for the government the healthcare costs. Creative health IN FOCUS the first step to a systematic approach to use this mission as an opportunity to set education training programs using digital to group the siloed healthcare system. the ground to transition from treatment solutions must be conducted to increase The beauty of NDHM is that the data is based healthcare to preventative. That awareness for the poor, uneducated and owned by the individual, it cannot be used cannot happen unless we solve the current the geriartic population. without consent. While the government is challenges faced by the healthcare sector: responsible for creating the ecosystem, Accessibility the systems and data is open to private Awareness players for offering their solutions. This Primary Health Centers (PHCs) lack RESEARCH move from the government provides Majority of the Indian population lacks basic infrastructural facilities such as opportunity for innovation in Healthcare health and technology awareness. A beds, wards, toilets, drinking water and IT. Given that India has the second study by Mittal K and Goel MK in facility, clean labor rooms for delivery, largest population this is a herculean task, Indian journal of community medicine and regular electricity. The further one hence a strategic approach is vital. We summarised that in urban Haryana lives from towns – the greater are the odds need to consider questions like what is the found that only 11.3% of the adolescent of disease, malnourishment, weakness, plan to train all the doctors to shift from girls studied knew correctly about key and premature death. Lower caste and NEWSCOPE paper based to electronic. How will this reproductive health issues. A review minority religions have decreased access be transferred to the patients? Training article on geriatric morbidity found that to healthcare given their living conditions which results in poor health outcomes. Many patients do not adhere to medications Making provisions that for digital health solutions reach the rural population, prescribed by the doctors and quit midway due providing training to educate the rural population about nutrition and teaching to lack of awareness. the use of digital solutions is important.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 15 The Indian Medical Association already houses a database of all the doctors, instead of duplicating and spending resources on something that already exists, NDHM should take advantage of the new Medical Device Regulations and heavily focus on innovation of quality digital health/ software products. Innovation in products

PERSONA has numerous advantages - softwares that aid in clinical decisions can improve efficiency and compensate for the scarcity of doctors, innovation in diagnostics can save lives in a timely fashion, apps that measure vital signs like ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration THEME rate, temperature, oxygen can provide real-time insights into patient’s health for effective treatment, help plan for emergencies better, reduce readmission, hospital bed and labor costs, apps can Affordability implementation of the procedures. help with management of diseases by Regulations for data standardization, encouraging patients to log in their diet 70%-75% of healthcare expenditure validation of processes, cybersecurity and medications. Developing digital comes out-of-pocket. Given that the standards for controlled supply chain of biomarker banks of different diseases for INNOVATIONS private sector is prominent in healthcare data are key to ensure accountability and diverse populations while focusing on services and does not have any enforced success of the NDHM mission. patient health outcomes both clinically cap on the billing of medical services, and economically will not only encourage families are forced to choose between life Absence of healthcare professionals value-based care but also improve patient and life savings resulting in households selection for surgeries and treatments. slipping into poverty to meet medical India has a shortage of an estimated needs. Households with high healthcare 6,00,000 doctors and 20,00,000 nurses. The transition from treatment based care

WELL-BEING needs (SCs/STs, and the poor) are in a India only has one government doctor for to prevention of diseases should start in more disadvantaged position in terms every 1,139 people. Right now, the facility the first half of this decade and must not of spending on health care. Healthcare is availed mostly by the elite and educated. be separated from The National Nutrition services are only bound to get expensive, There are only 0.7 hospital beds per 1,000 Mission. If executed meticulously it is time for the government to step-in people in India with variations across by engaging all the stakeholders, by and spread the financial risk across the the states, as per World Bank estimates3. diligently complying with the software, entire population equitably. Government must simultaneously cybersecurity, regulatory and quality IN FOCUS work on producing more healthcare standards to produce high quality digital Accountability professionals and deploying telemedicine health systems India has the potential to aggressively to balance the scarcity. become a powerhouse of innovation in Enforcing procedures and processes is Appropriate regulations and education of both products and processes in a way that vital. Succumbing to temptations such the poor, uneducated and old in utilizing healthcare can become patient centric as corruption and bribery should be such technologies has the potential to ease while empowering lifestyle choices and discouraged. While building the processes, the pressure on healthcare workers. ultimately reducing healthcare costs of the NDHM body should proactively involve country. That will be a win-win situation! RESEARCH all the key stakeholders i.e. the doctors, Focus on innovation Nidhi Gani is a Regulatory Affairs nurses, hospital administration and the Specialist with Smith & Nephew, patients to understand their pain points. A NDHM should not just focus on processes, Boston, USA. She brings over four holistic approach to develop the processes especially solutions like DigiDoctor are years of Regulatory experience working should be applied for successful neither creative nor financially sensible. with leading companies such as Smith & Nephew, Terumo cardiovascular, specializing in Manufacturing set-up and NDHM should not just focus on processes, transfers, New Product Development NEWSCOPE especially solutions like DigiDoctor are neither strategies and Remediation for Medical Devices in international markets such as creative nor financially sensible. North America, EU, Asia Pacific, Latin America.

16 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 Work-Life Roller Coaster of Indian Women in Science PERSONA Dr. Sarita Jaiswal THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING

enturies have passed, but women enrolment percentage in higher education males. The pressure of negotiating gender in science are still struggling to increased from 17.9% in the year 2010- and professional role get more intense IN FOCUS create a niche for themselves in 2011 to 26.4% in the year 2018-2019, the for females in their late twenties and Cthis male dominated field. The gender actual number of females in professional thirties. Marriage, family responsibility, gap is very much distinct in the STEM work field has declined. Education plays child bearing and caring for elderly are (Science, Technology, Engineering and important role in women empowerment. common reasons for female’s career break Math) careers. Among female students One may wonder in spite of seeing or dropping out from work place. Many of opting for science in high school only growth in female education level, why them do not focus on skill development, a fraction of them able to finish post- there is decline in their representation which makes the re-entry more difficult. RESEARCH graduation. Even in this fraction of highly in professional work front area. Answer educated females, majority of them opt to this question lies within our families. It is no surprise that females in their for full time teaching. It is not surprising It is a generally accepted norm that a professional space confront more work that females represent only 13.7% of woman should prioritize housework life balance questions than males and are management position and meagre 7% rather than professional work. It is no considered not competitive enough to at senior management level, which is wonder female professionals struggle manage intensive competitive positions at

much below global average. Although the more to create work-home balance than management level. There is no denial to NEWSCOPE this truth that even in this century; women The gender gap is very much distinct in the remain underrepresented in engineering, computer science and physical science. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Dr. Bimla Buti, who specializes in Plasma Physics and honored with many awards Math) careers.Among female students opting (Vikram Sarabhai Award for Planetary for science in high school only a fraction of Sciences, 1977, the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Lectureship award, them able to finish post-graduation. 1993, the Vainu Bappu International Award in Astrophysics, 1994, and the

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 17 Lifetime Achievement award of the University of Chicago in 1996) opted for Scientific community needs to discourage remaining single to give full justice to gender bias. There are many female Indian professional commitment. Still she faced gender differential treatment from the scientists, who achieved great success in scientific community in India. By giving this example, I am not implying that conjunction with their family responsibilities PERSONA marriage is a hurdle for female scientists. and support. Support of family is definitely essential to sustain the motivation, curiosity, imagination and scientific desire in There is no specified criterion for selection rather connections become the criterion women. Scientific community needs to of these positions but one definitely needs of selection for research positions and discourage gender bias. There are many to be considered “good enough,” by titles. Senior women scientists should influential peers. Another major hurdle be involved in taking policy decisions

THEME female Indian scientists, who achieved great success in conjunction with their in women scientist careers is age limit. In relating to hiring norms and encourage family responsibilities and support. India every academic/research position is young women in their scientific career categorized under age brackets. Female prospects. The gender pay gap exists even Becoming a fellow of national science scientists often face interruption in their in the scientific field and is more evident academies is considered a stepping career history. These specifications make in the private sector. A female researcher stone for establishing one’s scientific their comeback more difficult. often paid less than male in the industrial achievements in India. To become the sector. Not just this they also face other fellow first one needs to be nominated and However, despite these challenges forms of harassment and incivility that and lack of enough recognition in the could be humiliating or threatening. INNOVATIONS then elected. Academic merit definitely plays an important role but there are scientific community, there are many several unwritten rules including knowing inspiring Indian women scientists who Last, but not least there is unwritten people in decision-making bodies apply in made heroic contributions to science and rule in many scientific institutes of not the process. In this area women scientists society. Some of them may not achieve hiring husband and wife together, even easily lose out. Personal interactions with recognition in their own lifetimes, but when both are suitably qualified. In my male colleagues are deeply constrained their achievements will remain inspiring opinion if a scientist couple work at the by the patriarchal cultural barriers. Dr. for generations of female scientists in our same place they achieve more success and WELL-BEING Kamala Sohonie who discovered enzyme country and worldwide. Last year Indian beneficial for the organization. There is no ‘cytochrome C’ in plant cells and was the government established 11 research written rule for this prohibition but these first female student of Professor C. V. chairs honoring Indian female scientists stated rules are often guided by instincts Raman was denied IISC fellowship just Archana Sharma (Cytogenetist), Janaki and misconception of authorities or because of being female. Ammal (botany), Darshan Ranganatham colleagues. (biochemistry), Asima Chatterjee When personal connections matter in (Chemistry), Kadambini Ganguly IN FOCUS achieving targets, women scientists can (medicine), Iravati Karve (anthropology), Dr. Sarita Jaiswal is an experienced easily lose out, since personal interactions Anna Mani (meteorology), Rajeshwari plant biochemist working at the of women scientists with male colleagues Chatterjee (engineering), Raman University of Saskatchewan and Ex would be deeply constrained by the Parimala (mathematics), Bibha Chief Scientific Officer Carpere, standard patriarchal cultural barriers Chowdhuri (physics) and Kamal Canada. Her area of specialization of so-called morality. No wonder very Ranadive (biomedical science). Increase is carbohydrate structural few female scientists achieve academy of recognition for women in science chemistry, metabolism and encourages young female researchers to RESEARCH memberships. Another indicator of nutrition. She has sixty research status of female scientists in the country follow their passion and cultivates a sense publications inclusive of R&D is getting nominated on government- of belonging. articles, books, manuals/ modules, constituted advisory bodies. This includes and book chapters. She has worked being a member of the research advisory In my own experience as a female in many academic and industrial board, scientific advisory committee or biologist, we women do not require special research projects. She also has keen research council for various national provisions to achieve our worth but this interest in cosmetic formulation institutions, being a part of the committees does not justify the unnecessary gender development and working on her NEWSCOPE that make decisions about accepting or bias and unrealistic expectation to achieve own brand development. rejecting projects for extramural funding work-family balance. It will truly help if from CSIR, DAE, DBT, DST, ICMR etc. capability rather than age, knowledge

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PERSONA UK CARE HOMES TO DEPLOY ROBOTS TO REDUCE LONELINESS..... PERCEIVED TO BE INHUMANE

robotic dogs which sit at attention at the command of their owners to robotic human figures that greet businessmen THEME after their long day at work. These efforts really remind people about the importance of companionship. But it is still seen that robots cannot provide the compassion and altruism which should be at the centre of a caring system. It is

with them and instead preferred stuffed

INNOVATIONS animals for interaction which can be hugged and also sometimes moulded by the shape and temperature of the human body. Robots also seem to be very mechanical many a times and also insufficient for cultural awareness.

Food for thought here is that loneliness WELL-BEING is not just a physical affliction but also a deep mental issue which can be handled well by providing the right kind of companionship to help improve one’s n the United Kingdom some care health and overall well-being. Ihomes are ready to deploy robots with an intention to reduce loneliness and give Care of the elderly and infirm is a IN FOCUS a boost to mental health. These robots are political and cultural choice. One should wheeled machines which will initiate very remember that this section of people were basic conversations, teach the users some and still are a part of our social fabric and languages, play residents’ favourite music extended families. Many stories come to and offer some practical help including thought that if elderly interact with these light which show that these people are reminders for taking their medicines. The robots for long instead of reaping benefits ill-treated, ignored and not well looked robots are being introduced after being from these machines, the elderly will land especially during/after pandemic. So with showcased in International trials wherein into a deeper pit of loneliness as in the long a globally ageing population worldover, RESEARCH they were found to reduce loneliness and term their interaction with actual humans many countries are making an effort to anxiety. These robots can be programmed would have reduced further leading to an revisit then remodel their care homes to people’s interests. Though these robots increase sense of disconnect. in a way which reflects their economic, are being put into use as a filler for demographic and cultural needs. One caregivers to the lonely elderly seems to A resident robot named Ifbot was needs to find the best possible solution be a sad state of affairs as they neither introduced in a Japanese Nursing Home to reduce the aspect of loneliness in these offer a permanent solution to handle the in the year 2007 which sang songs, asked deprived sections of people which will

NEWSCOPE issue of loneliness nor can they replace the trivia quizzes to the elderly and provided alleviate them of their pain, agony and positive effect of human interaction. them emotional companionship to the solitude. elderly. It was then reported by the staff In Japan and the United Kingdom Robot that these elderly people lost interest in companies have been trialled using these robots after a month of interacting SOURCE: www.theguardian.com

20 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 ‘BED COMPASS’ TO TRACK SLEEP USING RADIO FREQUENCIES assachusetts Institute of Technology increases the risk of sudden death in (MIT) has made another innovative Epileptic patients. Similarly patients M PERSONA device known as the ‘Bodycompass’ which suffering from Parkinson’s Disease is a wireless device that can monitor sleep slowly lose their ability to turn over in postures and track sleep by using radio the bed. Thus body monitoring becomes frequencies. important and any such device could help patients to assess their risk and when an intervention system is combined with it, patients can be saved from sudden death.

In the study 26 healthy people sleeping THEME in their own bedrooms were observed for over 200 hours of sleep data to test breathing patterns. There is no discomfort the accuracy of Bodycompass. Initially to the user as no sensor or camera is the subjects were made to wear two attached to the body. The device analyses, accelerometers taped to their stomach collects and sends the reflected radio

and chest, also 94% of the time the device signals from the objects in the room INNOVATIONS predicted the correct body posture. This including the human body wherein the device can also monitor sleep patterns in researchers map the paths of the reflected These radio signals are reflected from infants. Bodycompass could also aid in signals to determine the posture of the a small device that is mounted on the the treatment of patients who are more body. In the future the team of MIT bedroom wall. The USP of this device likely to encounter bedsores and sleep researchers intend to make an update in is that it can identify sleep postures apnea since both these conditions can be the device as per which they would be able and measure sleep without attaching managed better by efficiently handling the to alert the user of bodycompass to change any sensors or cameras to the body. body postures of patients. their body posture if required. They also WELL-BEING It is important to track sleep postures intend to integrate the device with bed in certain situations where people User privacy has been taken care of when mattresses that can slowly turn a patient are suffering medical conditions like a person uses bodycompass as the device to avoid dangerous sleep positions. parkinson’s disease or epilepsy. Studies only records information necessary for have shown that sleeping on the stomach detection of sleeping posture and SOURCE: www.thehindu.com IN FOCUS ODOURLESS TECHNOLOGY BASED N-95 FACE MASKS BY IIT KANPUR redit for the creation of super- These masks are first of its kind to be Cactivated carbon N-95 masks based on made in India as these masks will provide odourless technology goes to IIT Kanpur protection not only against coronavirus alumni Sandeep Patil, Ankit Shukla, Nitin infection and external pollution but also Charate and Mahesh Kumar. it’s users’ from their own respiratory odour RESEARCH and bacteria. The odourless technology here implies that the mask absorbs odour-producing particles. Carbon is a harmful chemical for the body but when it is charged and prepared, it’s property changes and it becomes harmless to the body. The carbon particles used in the NEWSCOPE mask absorb in odorous particles, thus giving a free and fresh feel to its user while wearing the mask. The mask is also coated on the outside with treated nanoparticles.

These masks will be produced by e-spin, a start-up which is set up at the incubation ready to be produced in larger quantities. centre at IIT Kanpur. The masks have passed the testing phase and are now SOURCE: www.republicworld.com

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 21 ‘MITRA’-THE ROBOT BECOMES A FRIEND FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS AT NOIDA HOSPITAL nvento Robotics, Bengaluru-based with their families. A tablet is attached screen patients for influenza like illnesses Istart-up has designed and developed to its chest which allows the patients to wherein it screens nearly 500 OPD Mitra, the robot which has been installed see their relatives and medical staff who patients and relatives of IPD patients on

PERSONA at the entrance of Yatharth Hospital in cannot access the covid wards. a daily basis. Noida. The robot helps the Covid-19 patients speak to their near and dear There is facial recognition technology SOURCE: timesofindia.indiatimes.com ones, their families and friends alongwith equipped in it that helps the user to recall counselling the patients to smoothly the ones with whom they had interacted overcome the tough times of covid by earlier. keeping their anxiety levels under control.

THEME The robot also aids in the initial process Psychiatric consultations too happen via of checking the symptoms of incoming the screen on the robot through which the patients. It asks the patients about their doctor interacts with the patients replying symptoms and screens their temperature. to all their queries. Mitra is also being When the relevant statistics are normal used to carry out remote consultations then the robot prints an entry pass for with specialists at the hospital to reduce the hospital visitor mentioning the result the risk of contracting the infection. of screening, name and picture of the visitor.The robot keeps patrolling the The hospital has procured two Mitra

INNOVATIONS wards throughout the day. Since most of robots at a cost of INR 10 lacs each, one is the covid hospitals don’t allow phones installed at Yatharth Hospital, Noida and inside the ICU, a friend like Mitra is the other one is installed at the hospital’s surely to come in handy as it can also non-covid branches in sector 110, Noida make video calls and connect patients and sector Omicron 1, Greater Noida to WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH NEWSCOPE

22 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 CLAIRCO- CLEAN AIR START-UP RAISED FUNDING

Presently the company’s IoT solution on air monitoring and purification services

are being implemented on the premises PERSONA of India’s biggest health, fitness and home rental brands. Clairco also comes under the ambit of Brigade Reap, the real estate accelerator. The company intends to use the recently raised money to engaluru-based start-up named quality monitoring and management for expand its footprint in key cities all over BClairco founded by Ayush Jha, indoor spaces on a real time basis based India alongwith strengthening its core which turns air conditioners into air on the concept of predictive intelligence. technology team. THEME purifiers recently raised undisclosed A monthly subscription fee is charged funding from Angelist India. Clairco is by the company from its customers SOURCE: www.yourstory.com a B2B SaaS company which offers air for businesses of all scales and sizes.

VISTAR 550-INDIA’S FIRST INDEGENOUUS SMART AIR PURIFIER INNOVATIONS BY IIT MADRAS

twice a year. The filter covers an area of 550 square feet but customisation for

larger spaces can be provided by AirOK. WELL-BEING Its shape is circular with 360 degree coverage of the area. The purifier has been tested at many places and has gained popularity making Vistar 550 a promising remedy to tackle air pollution. The team is in talks with automakers to make these filters a default feature in cars. The team is also eyeing kitchen spaces for purifying IN FOCUS homes. The purifier has a unique sensor- ir pollution is a silent killer The above mentioned property of filtering based design to assess pollution levels on Aresponsible for killing nearly one such pollutants is said to be the USP of the go. Depending upon the pollution percent of the world’s population every this purifier. levels, the sensor switches the device on year. Air pollution is a health hazard or off. and of concern worldwide. Out of the ten most polluted cities in the world, six The market of air purifiers is projected are in India. To contribute in controlling to reach $209 million by the year 2021 RESEARCH this alarming situation, AirOK, a start-up due to the increasing awareness about incubated at IIT Madras by three former the negative effects of air pollution both students Yasa Pawan Reddy, Deekshit Vra indoor and outdoor on human health. Prasad and Vanam Sravan Krishna of the Also the sales of air purifiers are expected institute, developed Vistar 550, a smart air to grow at 24% between 2018 and 2024. purifier to filter out major pollutants and gaseous substances. Presently AirOK is AirOK has a vision to become the one- NEWSCOPE supplying these purifiers to various sectors stop solution for all air polluted related like real estate, hospitality, healthcare and products in the market in India and IT. Vistar 550 is also being used in the B2B intends to place indigenously developed segment. The indigenously built filter uses The purifier has a clean air delivery rate of huge purifiers in public spaces similar efficient granular absorbent particulate 480 m3 per hour which is 10 % more than to those already in place in China. Their arrester (EGAPA) technology to filter out the air purifiers already available in the mission is to help people counter air particulate matter, fungus, microbes and market. The filter will need replacement pollution and lead a pollution free life. gaseous substances like sulphur dioxide, after one year of use in comparison to the nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. HEPA filters which need to be replaced SOURCE: www.yourstory.com

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 23 IMEDX- THE TELEMEDICINE SOFTWARE BY IIT KHARAGPUR

of telemedicine for providing critical set an appointment mentioning the date healthcare support to patients at their and time for the consultation and then doorstep via remote consultation by a either via email or sms an alert is sent to doctor. IIT had announced eight R&D the patient. On the consultation day, the projects for COVID Healthcare Services, consultant gives his advice by writing a out of which one was the development of prescription for the patient which is sent iMediX launched on 2 October, 2020. to the patient via an email, the report can PERSONA be then downloaded from the patient’s The iMediX system is accessible by any account. standard internet browser or a mobile device. The system works by allowing The team of researchers is in touch with the patients to put in a request for healthcare MSMEs for commercialisation consultation by choosing a department of the copyright version of the technology.

THEME of the hospital, mentioning their chief The telemedicine software will also be n the times of pandemic it is becoming complaint and uploading their previous integrated at the Dr B.C Roy Technology Iimportant to reduce the contact point medical records. Prior to this the patient Hospital at the IIT campus which offers between the patient and the caregiver for signs up to get an account by providing emergency healthcare services for the the safety of both the parties. Working in his/her email id or contact number. The employees and campus residents of the this direction a team at IIT Kharagpur hospital then processes their request institute. from the Department of computer science and assigns the patient with a suitable and Engineering has launched a software consultant. The consultant then logs in to SOURCE: economictimes.indiatimes.com INNOVATIONS BREATH ANALYSER DEVELOPED BY SINGAPORE START-UP TO DETECT COVID-19 INFECTION UNDER A MINUTE

of months for mass screening at places

WELL-BEING like hotels, airports, transportation hubs and sports venues. The estimated price of this test could be around $ 20 each.

SOURCE: www.Indianexpress.com IN FOCUS RESEARCH

midst COVID, Breathonix, many volatile organic compounds that ASingapore’s start-up has developed a people exhale with every breath in order new tool for screening Covid-19 infection to establish a specific signal among those Compiled by: which can analyse people’s breath to with an active corona infection. Dr. Avnatika Batish, working as the Director Strategy and Healthcare at

NEWSCOPE determine whether they are covid positive or not within one minute. The company The pilot study was conducted on 180 International Health Emergency has carried out clinical trials for the people, showing an overall specificity of Learning and Preparedness.She is same achieving atleast 90% accuracy 95% and sensitivity of 93%. The company also a guest faculty for MBA (HR) after screening participants on site for 60 still feels the need to conduct more trials to and MBA Healthcare Management seconds. The test could be as easy as just improve and validate the accuracy of their at various B-Schools and is a soft breathing into a tube. The test is based on device. They intend to make the device skills trainer. mass spectrometry which analyses the commercially available in the next couple

24 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 WELL-BEING PERSONA Predatory bacteria: a potential solution for combating superbugs? THEME Anagha S Setlur

very effective against multidrug resistance, INNOVATIONS research is now focused on exploring safe alternative approaches for combating this difficulty. A novel, developing area of study in this regard is the use of predatory bacteria as a potential therapy for fighting superbugs, by the study of predator-prey interactions. Bacterial predators make use of other pathogens as food by preying on WELL-BEING them, thereby eliminating them. Some common examples of predatory bacteria are Myxococcus xanthus, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and Micavibrio species. Lately, studies pertaining to the use of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus as a ‘living antibiotic’ is enthusiastically being carried out, for the reason being this IN FOCUS obligate predator, although harmful to other pathogens in the microbial world, is absolutely harmless to humans. The lifecycle of this bacteria is primarily divided into two main phases: a free-living, urrent scenario of drug illnesses such as pneumonia and non-replicative and rapidly swimming resistance septicemia, multidrug resistant attack phase and an actively dividing, RESEARCH Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a hospital- non-motile growth phase. The bacteria CThe rampant rise of resistance to antibiotics acquired pathogen that causes blood feeds by first latching itself to the surface is one of the biggest perils to global health and lung infections, multidrug resistant of its prey and forming a bdelloplast today. Persistent use of antibiotics, self- Acinetobacter which affects the urinary (a modified form of Bdellovibrio diagnosis and medication, exposure to tract, lungs, blood and are present in bacteriovorus developed inside its host) infections in the hospitals and misuse of wounds and carbapenem resistant post its entry. A gradual elongation of the antibiotics have all led to the emergence Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) which is also bdelloplast inside the pathogen occurs NEWSCOPE of multiple drug resistant bacteria. Since an invasive contagion. India is home due to consumption of its host as food, the infections caused by these bacteria to some of the biggest superbugs and followed by its septation and lysis of the are hard to treat due to their resistance researchers have estimated that by 2050, pathogen to reveal multiple re-established against most available antibiotics, they two million deaths are projected to occur Bdellovibrio. These are then ready to are now termed as ‘superbugs’. Some due to antibiotic resistance. Therefore, hunt for its next pathogen/prey. A unique examples of such superbugs existing today there is an obvious and pressing need to attribute that makes this predator a include but are not limited to, Methicillin address this situation. passionate subject for study is that it feeds resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) without competition and reduces the and Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus Use of predatory bacteria population of prey drastically, therefore aureus (VRSA), both of which can cause making it an ideal prospective candidate sickness ranging from skin to invasive Since conventional therapies are now not for use in therapy and as biocontrol agents.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 25 Why it is the best solution topically, which is suggestive of their use bacterial infections caused due to both against a wide range of Gram-negative Gram-positive and Gram-negative Currently, there is great substantiation in pathogens. It is also very unlikely that the pathogens. Another challenge that the support of the theory of using Bdellovibrio prey develops resistance to Bdellovibrio scientific community is now facing is the as a living antibiotic. Studies have shown due to the fact that Bdellovibrio is non- sub-optimal effectiveness of Bdellovibrio that this Gram-negative predator kills antibiotic. Scientists have also stated that in human serum due to high serum other Gram-negative pathogens as there is no transfer of genetic material osmolarity. Although this snag is yet to prey, including some of the threatening between prey and pathogen which be resolved, further ethical questions ESKAPE pathogens, a group of clinically improves the likelihood of its safe use in regarding the use of live bacteria in

PERSONA significant species that have developed the future. humans arise, which pose debatable multiple drug resistance and comprise of scenarios. While the issue of acceptance Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus Limitations and future perspectives can be settled with awareness, there are aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, still several avenues unexplored pertaining Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas Despite its numerous advantages, one to the use of predatory bacteria as a living aeruginosa and Enterobacter species. major drawback is that this predator antibiotic, making it a dynamic area Furthermore, Bdellovibrio is also is ineffective against Gram-positive of study for scientists. Considering the

THEME demonstrated to reduce the formation organisms due to the thick peptidoglycan current situation revolving around drug of biofilms in several Gram-positive and layer on the membrane of Gram-positives. resistance and emergence of superbugs as Gram-negative bacteria, via the release Research, however, is trying to counteract well as the existing treatment regimens, of enzymes. Additionally, these predators this problem via combination approaches the use of predatory bacteria appears to be do not elicit an immune response from by amalgamating both predators and a sound and reliable solution for the post- the body when ingested, injected or used antibiotics in order to combat mixed antibiotic epoch.

Persistent use of antibiotics, self-diagnosis Anagha S Setlur Master of Research

INNOVATIONS graduate from Nottingham, and medication, exposure to infections in the UK,Molecular Microbiology. An hospitals and misuse of antibiotics have all avid reader of books and scientific publications with a history of led to the emergence of multiple drug resistant working in several research projects bacteria. in academia. WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH NEWSCOPE

Figure: Life Cycle of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a Gram-negative predatory bacterium (Image source: doi 10.1128/JB.01157-09) 26 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 Impact of Covid-19 on the

Global Telemedicine Market PERSONA Ratnasri Korlepara

However, despite beneficial factors, it also has some growth restricting factors which are restraining the growth of

the market. The factors such as the THEME telemedicine market require huge capital for the maintenance of such platforms, the primary concern for both the medical professionals and the patients is that the privacy on the data exchange, the doctors and the patient share confidential INNOVATIONS information using telemedicine platform, where there is a chance of getting breached. Moreover, the lack of security to the patient’s confidential data impedes market growth over the years.

Physicians and patients frequently lack

familiarity with the introduction of WELL-BEING hat is Telemedicine? Telemedicine Market Size (2020 to 2025) new practices and lack of awareness in According to the trending data, the size the older people. The older people may of the global telemedicine market is refuse the telemedicine services due to WTelemedicine uses electronic forecasted to worth USD 80.61billion by the unfamiliar technology, which was a communication platforms to provide 2025 from USD 35.46% billion in 2020, challenge for the telemedicine market. healthcare services to patients across the registering a Compound annual growth world. Telemedicine is considered the rate (CAGR) of 17.85% between 2020 to The Artificial intelligence(AI) and

most versatile technology utilized for 2025. analytics applications in telemedicine IN FOCUS health education, healthcare information, services provide risk prediction and and healthcare in remote areas. Market Trends management therefore it also expands Telemedicine has witnessed the largest the efficacy of AI to offer various market share over the forecast periods. The telemedicine market has witnessed opportunities for the market growth in It provides communication between the a better market share over the forecasted the coming years. patients and doctors along with it reduces years with the influential growth factors. the extra cost burden to the hospitals as Telemedicine has more advantages than COVID-19 impact on the telemedicine RESEARCH well as other clinics. While considering challenges. The Telemedicine market industry the benefits offered by telemedicine, growth is considered to be driven by the the physicians and the hospitals are factors such as the telemedicine platform The outbreak of COVID-19 has made a looking forward to encouraging use which provides various opportunities positive impact on the healthcare sector. of telemedicine as a communication for the players in the market to It has created significant acceleration for platform. The telemedicine market is improve clinical management; also, the the telemedicine market and helped them gradually becoming highly competitive telemedicine platform delivers effective reach new heights in the recent past. on introducing different platforms and care by enhancing the quality and access The COVID-19 is providing immense NEWSCOPE the key market players’ entry into the to healthcare services. opportunities for telehealth solutions. market with high investment to develop People around the world are opting for the market standards. The necessity to improve the quality of virtual consultation instead of physical care and to curtail the cost burden on the presence to stay safe. The manufacturers Moreover, Telemedicine can minimize hospitals and clinics, health education, are focused on developing virtual apps expenditure and maximize outcomes. health information, and healthcare at to make seamless communication According to the survey results, over 64% a distance was made possible through between the doctors and patients; thus, of the consumers are willing to adopt versatile technology, which is the major telemedicine’s market growth had a online consultations during the COVID driving factor. positive impact during the pandemic 19 pandemic period. period. However, the market is expected

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 27 PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS

to have witnessed the largest market share The Asia Pacific held the largest market others are some of the notable players in the coming years. share of the Telemedicine market in dominating the global telemedicine 2019 due to widespread chronic diseases market. Geographical Presence and overcrowding hospitals. An increase in the need for Telemedicine platforms Recent Happenings in this market WELL-BEING The North American telemedicine market to communicate with healthcare held the majority share in the global professionals is expected to drive the • In 2020. The Phillips had launched market in 2019 and forecasted the same to market growth of the Asia Pacific region. the Avalon CL Fatal and patch for be continuing during the forecast period. remote monitoring in the United The majority share is attributed to the Middle East Africa held a large market States. Australia. Europe, Singapore, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases over the years in the Telemedicine market, and New Zealand to encourage fetal to minimize the hospital expenditure and and it is expected to record a majority and maternal monitoring. IN FOCUS increasing geriatric population in this share in the market forecast period. An region. increasing need for Telemedicine and • In 2020, the collaboration happened investment and advancing technologies between the Koninklijke Phillips, The European market is anticipated are anticipated to hold the market share. American Telemedicine Association to register the better growth of the has helped increase the adoption of TeleMedicine market during the forecast Key Market Participants Telehealth and homecare settings. period. The influential factors such as the rising geriatric population in this region, AMD Global Telemedicine, Honeywell • In 2020, Bio-Telemetry, operated by RESEARCH increasing technology adoption, and Life Care Solutions, Philips Healthcare, Envolve people care, inc., acquired rising investment activities are having Cerner Corporation, Medtronic, Inc., remote patient monitoring and an effect on the market growth over the GE Company, Lifewatch, McKesson coaching platforms to expand RPM years. Corporation, InTouch Technologies, and and coaching solutions.

Ratnasri Korlepara, currently Telemedicine is considered the most versatile working as a Research Analyst NEWSCOPE technology utilized for health education, with experience in the Healthcare industry. She has firm knowledge healthcare information, and healthcare in of predictions and identifies trends that can impact the market and remote areas. business growth.

28 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 IN FOCUS PERSONA Chasing The Art of

Acceptance THEME Rachit Shah INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH

ure-shot dissimilarities were I still remember that evening when this Glaucoma (an eye conditions that noticed between the last leg of foursome-effect changed it all for me being damage the optic nerve often caused these mega-events where all eyes diagnosed with a rare medical condition, by high pressure) and the journey still Son Google-earth were glued on fireworks Isaac Syndrome (a diverse disorder continues...... Easy said than done but only demonstrated by the Big-Boys before as a result of muscular hyperactivity), Accepting this hurricane blowing off, my

ACCEPTING to seal their fate in 2016 vs. Membranous Glomerulonephritis (a cards-of-health was the only option. NEWSCOPE in 2020 when voters in the United States slowly progressive disease of the kidney), (US) got wooed by their 46th Presidential Lymes (a bacterial infection that can As I grew up living alone past my candidate. This article comes in the be spread to humans by infected ticks), post graduation, I realized that self- catalogue of some unpredictable moments with a touch of nostalgia as my fate was I still remember that evening when this also sealed in 2016 when I anticipated to be in the best health-equity but God was foursome-effect changed it all for me being using an inevitable ink-color to re-write diagnosed with a rare medical condition. my story.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 29 ‘’ACCEPTANCE PRESCRIPTION’’.

Initially it was like a grenade launched from a power-packed missile but slowly as time graduated, the ‘A’cceptance of God acclimatising for something new got evident as differences between the performing spirits of the past vs. demonic losses of the present bought me face-to- PERSONA face with my reality and the courage to re- work on life.

Since 2016, a 180 degree shift initiated my unworried world slip into virgin territories when the illegal immigration of health-

THEME damage set it’s foot by unleashing the changed format being of the new law of life. In a split-of-seconds, my health cover seemed insufficient, travelling for leisure appeared farfetched, daily jogs & cycling diverged to weekly walks, consuming cartons of medicines was a daily practice, compulsive attendance with doctors than friends was the new normal etc. At a

INNOVATIONS point in life I was scratching the surface, not peeping inside with the fear of being declared defeated but ‘A’cceptance is all about finding our own Ikigai (Japanese term, the relevance of which exaggerates to its closeness with ‘A’ccepting life situations, focusing on overall up-liftment

WELL-BEING & wellbeing to contentment).

All of us have our unique stories:- Recently I took the liberty of watching ‘’The Pursuit of Happiness’’ a journey of a life-hero being homeless & then a millionaire, ‘A’ccepting failures &

IN FOCUS living through his personal catastrophe to succeed. The movie has the right ingredients in the light of performance responsibility teaches some of the flames of the present. After all the where it took only one conversation to greatest life-lessons, realizing early not evil-symbolizing tantrums of life, it seal Mr. Gardner’s future forever. to hypnotize life as it takes seconds for left me with little but no choice to the glory of the past to consign into accommodate and make room for the This was one of the epics that inspired my ways to challenge limits & re-discover

RESEARCH perceptions whenever the symptom- In a split-of-seconds, my health cover seemed mystery deepens enacting as a scorpion insufficient, travelling for leisure appeared sting engulfing the relations between my bones & muscles experiencing torn pieces farfetched, daily jogs & cycling diverged to between frequent medicinal changes & weekly walks, consuming cartons of medicines technical comfort graph. was a daily practice, compulsive attendance • For me Acceptance is not merely NEWSCOPE Parroting the ‘A’ word instead submit with doctors than friends was the new normal to addressing my zeal to recovery where the word zeal denotes happily etc. agreeing to offers made by life

30 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 • I can feel the difference in attitude since I was touched by the art of ‘A’ as its taught me to handle uncertainties, better

• ‘A’ is one of the key therapies that PERSONA acted like a vastu-tip sublimating my brain-waves towards the truth of the moment becoming another synonym for inner peace • This art tested my tolerance to sail through ‘n’ number of undesired encounters

• ‘A’ is very helpful in providing a safety THEME net defeating the intensifying peer group competition • ‘A’ inched me from a black-board to a smart-board with a baseline making necessary timely amendments in my

daily routine creating a fight-back INNOVATIONS aura • ‘A’ is living in the moment instead of planning the future, a step forward surrendering to the omnipotent.

CRUX :- The emotional quotient needs to be well-balanced while sailing through any crisis, if handled with ‘A’cceptance WELL-BEING becomes a positive emotion. During my journey I realized this art, apart from being a time-consuming language, also demands loads of practice. It’s importance is inescapable for growth-mileage.

As only a Golden vessel is equipped to hold

Lion’s milk until the pH is altered similarly IN FOCUS God chooses his special vessels to handle certain humanitarian crisis and therefore I end by urging my peer-group to create an aura around the art of ‘A’cceptance as even these hard times of Covid recites the same mantra to the world. back in the form of wisdom. Currently

the only thing that echoes my mind RESEARCH Though I admit my target & target- is to ACCCEPT the fact that I haven’t Rachit Shah (pseudonym points shifted places but the need of come this far for a casual walk. identity for writing articles to the hour is to mute the background create awareness) was diagnosed music & surrender to these new I wish to hear from my readers, if I have with Isaac Syndrome in 2016 algorithms, expecting that someday collided with fatigue by merely Accepting presently residing in Mumbai, these lost-dark-years would surface my today ?? India. He is a masters in business

management with over 13 NEWSCOPE years of Investment Banking As only a Golden vessel is equipped to hold experience (had to quit because Lion’s milk until the pH is altered similarly God of his health condition ) chooses his special vessels to handle certain humanitarian crisis

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 31 Your guide to the best ways of burning fat rapidly Lucy Jones PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING

hether it improves the overall Studies reveal that strength training has fat. A protein-rich diet gets connected

IN FOCUS health or your desire to slim multiple health benefits when it comes to to a lower risk of belly fat. They also down, burning excess fat losing weight. It helps to reduce visceral fat play an essential role in preserving Wis a challenging task. Along with diet in people who have metabolic syndrome. muscle mass and increasing metabolic and exercise, various other factors may Visceral fat is a dangerous fat that builds rate. Moreover, increasing your protein influence fat loss. There are many simple around the belly organs. intake may subsequently increase the steps which you may take to increase your feeling of fullness, reduce calorie intake, chances of fat burning. By following these Moreover, studies also reveal that a proper and decrease appetite. A few examples steps regularly and being consistent in combination of strength training with of Protein-rich food items, encompass

RESEARCH your effort to lose weight, you may get the aerobic exercise effectively reduces belly eggs, meat, legumes, seafood, and dairy desired results. fat and body fat. Furthermore, resistance products. training can help to preserve fat-free Take a glance at the best ways to burn fat mass. They can also increase the number Get more sleep: By increasing your and promote weight loss quickly: of calories that your body burns while you sleep, you may give a much-needed are at rest. Regular bodyweight exercises, boost to your fat burning attempt. There Begin strength training: Strength gym equipment, or lifting weights are easy is a connection between weight loss and training is a kind of exercise that requires ways to start your strength training. getting enough sleep. Studies reveal that NEWSCOPE you to contract your muscles against people who increased their sleeping hours resistance. It increases strength and builds Go for a high protein diet: By including have received desirable results in a short muscle mass. Strength training generally protein-rich food items in your diet, you period. Getting at least seven to eight includes lifting weights to gain power. may reduce your appetite and burn body hours of sleep per night increases the

32 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 likelihood of successful weight loss. On body fat and have little nutritional value. fat-burning supplements that can reduce the contrary, the lack of sleep may bring You may opt for calorie-free beverages body weight; it is found in coffee and changes in hunger hormones, increase the such as green tea or water. Green tea other food items and plays a vital role in risk of obesity, and increase appetite. Also, is an excellent option as it contains increasing metabolic rate. Moreover, it by sticking to a regular sleep schedule, antioxidants and caffeine. Both of them acts directly on the central nervous system limiting your use of the electronic device, play a significant role in increasing fat and increases the breakdown of fatty acids. and limiting your caffeine intake, you may burning and enhancing metabolism. Caffeine intake may temporarily enhance PERSONA support your healthy sleep cycle. Green tea extracts increase fat burning by energy expenditure and also increase 12% as compared to placebo. metabolism by three to ten percent. To Involve vinegar in your diet: Vinegar maximize the health benefits associated has health-promoting properties. Along Soluble fibers absorb fluid or water and with coffee, skip sugar, and cream. Enjoy with its positive effect on blood sugar thereby move along the digestive tract, black coffee with little or no amount of control and heart health, it also increases helping them feel fuller for quite some milk to prevent extra calories. the body’s fat-burning metabolism. By time. Studies reveal that you may protect

consuming one to two tablespoons of yourself against fat accumulation and fat By opting for high-intensity interval THEME vinegar regularly, you may reduce your gain by increasing your high fiber foods training or HIIT, you may keep your body weight, waist circumference, and intake. They also decrease the feeling of heart rate elevated. Studies reveal that belly fat over twelve weeks. Moreover, hunger, thereby reducing calorie intake. this form of exercise effectively increases the consumption of vinegar enhances the Vegetables, fruits, whole grain, legumes, fat burning and promotes weight loss. feeling of fullness and reduces appetite. seeds, and nuts are examples of high fiber It helps to burn more calories shortly in

Apple cider vinegar, along with water, is a food items. They provide a much-needed comparison to other forms of cardio. INNOVATIONS tasty beverage. boost to your weight loss and fat burning. Hence, by incorporating some healthy habits into your schedule, you may make Along with all this, going for a balanced By reducing your refined carbohydrates a big difference to your lifestyle. Also, diet and performing regular physical intake, you may lose extra fat. Refined minor changes to the lifestyle may have exercise is also equally important. Try to carbs have a higher glycaemic index. It powerful effects on fat burning. It will eat healthy fats like avocados, seeds, nuts, may cause crashes and spikes in blood help if you become focused on becoming coconut oil, and olive oil. Studies reveal sugar levels, thereby increasing hunger. A healthy and fit. that the Mediterranean diet is rich in diet that is high in refined carbs gets linked WELL-BEING healthy fats and stays linked with burning with increased belly fat. On the other fat. On the other hand, unhealthy fats like hand, a diet that is high in whole grains Lucy Jones is a freelance Trans fats help increase body fat, belly fat, is associated with lower body weight and content writer and blogger and waist circumference. lower body mass index. Moreover, a high who writes about health and intake of refined grains increases the risk Moreover, you may increase your intake of various diseases. Thus, you may follow wellness. She loves to spend of healthier beverages and abstain from these ideas to work on the different ways her free time in an orphanage

sweetened beverages like cold drinks and of reducing body fat to lead a healthy life. and teach people how to be fit IN FOCUS caffeine drinks, which only add calories to for a healthy lifestyle. your body. These beverages only increase Caffeine is the essential ingredient of RESEARCH NEWSCOPE

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 33 RESEARCH Digitalisation of Health to PERSONA improve Universal Health Coverage in India THEME Dr. Sumant Swain and Dr. Arpita Dhawan

Health Authority in India. This on health system components by 2020, strengthen the health surveillance system and establish registries for diseases of public health importance by 2020 and establish federated integrated health information architecture, Health Information Exchanges

INNOVATIONS and National Health Information Network by 2025. According to the health policy, the government of India has implemented National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).

Global Strategy on Digital Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) WELL-BEING adopted the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2024. The purpose for a global strategy on digital health is to promote healthy lives and wellbeing for everyone and everywhere at all ages. This robust global strategy integrates financial, organizational, human and technological

IN FOCUS resources to deliver its potential, national or regional digital health initiatives. In the context of this global strategy, digital health is understood to mean “the field of knowledge and practice associated with the development and use of digital technologies to improve health”. Digital health expands the concept of e-Health to include digital

RESEARCH consumers, with a wider range of smart ndia has been putting constant efforts health policy has given significant emphasis and connected devices. It also encompasses to promote digitalisation of entire on leveraging digital technologies for other uses of digital technologies for health health data nationwide. The goal enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness such as the Internet of Things, advanced Ibehind these efforts is to achieve Universal of delivery of all the healthcare services. computing, big data analytics, artificial Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable To manage the deficiencies that exist in intelligence including machine learning, Development Goals (SDGs) by making the current health care systems, the policy and robotics. Majority of the nation has health accessible, affordable and equitably recommends a paradigm shift from the been adopting WHO global strategy on

NEWSCOPE distributed. Digital health simply means existing silos to a holistic and comprehensive digital health which is a very comprehensive digitisation of health data. Health data can health eco-system through the latest digital and well formulated policy. be anything like outcomes, medical record, architectures and technologies. Health medical staff records etc. National Health Management Information under the India’s position towards digitalisation of Policy 2017 of India clearly laid down the National Health policy, 2017 emphasised health provision of digital health and identified that the health system should ensure district- Indian public health infrastructure is the need for development of the National Digital level electronic database of information divided into primary, secondary and tertiary

34 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 care services in both public and private health analytics and above all, multiple location. sectors. Public health sector is funded by access channels like call centre, Digital the Government. India has progressed Health India portal and MyHealth App. The first Telemedicine Pilot Project was many steps about digitisation of the health NDHB also recognised the formation of a launched by Indian Space Research sector, still way more to go. Digitisation of National Digital Health Mission that can Organization in 2001 by linking Chennai’s health records is happening now in both the drive implementation of NDHB. National Apollo Hospital with the Apollo Rural

private and public sector. Public sector did Digital Health Mission is launched in 2020. Hospital at Aragonda village in the Chittoor PERSONA not progress much due to insufficient funds The vision of NDHM is to create a national district of Andhra Pradesh and this hospital or ineffective utilisation of funds allotted by digital health ecosystem and support became a pioneer of Telemedicine in India. the central and state governments. universal health coverage. NDHM will be There are other examples of successful rolled out in four phases and four primary telemedicine work like the First Coronary India is working in a planned manner to systems are launched in its 1st phase which Care Unit in Siliguri District Hospital and achieve its goal of digitalisation. It launched are-Health ID, Health facility Register, Bankura Sammilani Hospital, Bankura, the “Digital India” programme in 2015. Aim Personal Health records, Electronic medical West Bengal, mammography services at of this programme is to provide digitally records and Digi doctor. Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; oncology and electronically advanced means to the at Regional Cancer Center, Trivandrum; THEME citizens that will facilitate to connect rural Digitisation of health will help to solve and surgical services at Sanjay Gandhi areas with urban areas through network the problem of accessibility, availability, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, devices and services. The programme is affordability, quality of care and safety of Lucknow and many more. designed to ensure that the government patients. NDHM integrated database will services are accessible to all including be available for analysis, implementation Telemedicine pilot project in Karnataka

poor and downtrodden people, through and policy designing of health programmes. has already provided more than 10,000 INNOVATIONS electronic means. This will help for fastening, Digitalisation can be very helpful for supply teleconsultations and brought multi- rendering of services and improving the chain management or inventory control specialty healthcare to a significant section quality of life of even the lowest stratum of and it can give notifications about stock of the rural population of Karnataka. This society. and warning about inventory control. network would serve as a model for the Training of staff can be done digitally which utilization of ‘HEALTHSAT,’ which is India is now the 2nd fast digital adopter in will save lots of cost. There would be more proposed for launch in the future. the World. India is planning to provide high transparency as all the data would be made

speed broadband services to all the villages online and would be accessible to citizens of Telemedicine can support and advance WELL-BEING and remote areas. On the other hand, India the country. It will help reduce paperwork primary healthcare via-providing easy is facing immense problems like poor and increase GDP of the country. The main access to people living in remote areas, doctor-patient ratio and poor indicators challenges of digitalisation in India are lack simplify communication between healthcare of health outcomes. Digitalisation of the of infrastructure and required technology providers and individuals regarding healthcare sector can solve these problems to support this. Servers are overloaded, lack prevention, diagnosis or management of of insufficient infrastructure, less doctors, of network in rural areas and high cost of a health condition. It can help promote less staff, travel issues, lack of access to application. It is time consuming in initial and maintain healthy behaviour in the healthcare and high cost. phases as double data entry work is done in community.

both register and computers. Lack of digital IN FOCUS To accomplish this vision, network education for most of the staff in rural Artificial Intelligence (AI) access has been improved by increasing areas particularly frontline health workers, bandwidth. Advanced digital technologies security and privacy issues are noticed main Many articles mention that digital health are adopted to facilitate and increase hurdles to implement digital health. enhances quality, efficiency and safety the digital infrastructure of the country. of primary health care, but its complete National Health policy 2017 advocates Telemedicine digitalisation of PHC’s is a very slow and development of Digital tools and technology time consuming process. India presents RESEARCH to enhance the healthcare system and Telemedicine has now turned out to be the unique challenges to healthcare such as less achieve universal health coverage for all. most useful and cheapest tool to bridge the patient doctor ratio, patient nurse ratio, As a result, NITI Aayog in 2018 released gap between shortages of doctors in rural patient to bed ratio and now demographic a proposal for National Health Stack to areas. Efficacy of telemedicine has already transition and shift of disease burden from provide foundation for health IT programs been shown by many projects established communicable to non-communicable in India. The committee formed by NITI during COVID-19 period. Anticipating the diseases. All these can be handled by AI. Aayog has come up with National Digital increased need of telemedicine by health-

Health Blueprint in 2019. The blueprint care providers, the Medical Council of India Sunil Wadhwani, founder of the Wadhwani NEWSCOPE is not merely an ‘architectural document’ released practice guidelines in March 2020. Institute for Sustainable Health and but also has specific details of the building During this pandemic period, telemedicine cofounder of Wadhwani AI, was one of blocks required to fulfil the vision of NHP has proven to be more effective as it permits the earliest drivers of rural healthcare in 2017. It has the institutional mechanism and consultation and discussion between India. He recited a story of a poor farming an action plan for realizing digital health doctors and patients irrespective of their couple he interacted with in rural Rajasthan in a comprehensive and holistic manner. The key features of the blueprint are a Indian public health infrastructure is divided 5-layered system of architectural building blocks, Unique Health Id (UHID), privacy, into primary, secondary and tertiary care consent management, national portability, EHR, applicable standards and regulations, services in both public and private sectors.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 35 to provide quality of care, better health outcomes, facilitate availability, accessibility, and affordable health care through universal health coverage. Telemedicine and artificial intelligence will be facilitated to accomplish quality health care delivery to the common people through digitalisation. Health has become a global subject now. Digital health is one of the emerging trends of this decade PERSONA and will have a profound influence on geopolitical and socioeconomic realities in the future. Importance of digital health cannot be neglected, and it should be scaled down to the health and wellness centre and community level. However, it requires political will and a huge budget THEME to implement religiously. Despite many constraints, India will fulfil digital health mission in future with determination. This is the high time to think about the virtual hospital, digitalisation of healthcare facilities, software based disease diagnosis, telemedicine and use of extensive AI in healthcare settings to deliver healthcare

INNOVATIONS services timely and effectively to the common people specially in India.

Dr. Sumant Kumar Swain is an Assistant Professor in IIHMR Delhi. He has more than thirteen years of experience in national WELL-BEING health programme evaluations, operational and formative research projects using both qualitative and quantitative methods in various health and social programmes. about a decade ago, where the wife was also spoke of the WISH Foundation that’s He has various national and suffering from high diabetes and the using technology extensively to transform international accolades on his IN FOCUS family had no means of providing her the primary healthcare. More recently, his name. care she needed. He remarked that today, endeavor Wadhwani AI with brother with wearable technologies and instant Romesh, was started to drive high impact Dr. Arpita Dhawan is working on blood sugar detection kits, her condition AI projects in healthcare and agriculture – NDHM project in Iqvia. She has could have been indicated much sooner these include TB detection, maternal and more than five years of experience and she could have received timely fetal care, and precision farming to name of working as a dental surgeon. In help. But this is easier said than done. a few. India under Ayushman Bharat her journey to pursue public health India’s rural and deep interior regions has initiated use of AI to smoothen the RESEARCH she has done Internship on various still struggle with limited to no access process of digital ID formation and for projects pertaining to recent to healthcare. But what’s different now NDHM. pandemic Covid-19. is the concentrated efforts made by the During the Pandemic period and critical government in collaboration with private health crises, digital health is necessary sector entities, to capitalize technology and provide a continuum of care. He Telemedicine and artificial intelligence will elaborated on the National Health Policy,

NEWSCOPE the establishment of Ayushman Bharat be facilitated to accomplish quality health and more recently, the National Digital Health Mission as ways to integrate all key care delivery to the common people through stakeholders to impact change. He digitalisation.

36 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 The Duality of Identity Faced By Athletes PERSONA Dr. Dawn Kamilah Brown THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS

obody’s identity should be is easily lost to all that comes with being get a chance to create any other identity. defined by just one thing. An an athlete. And the challenge of living At younger and younger ages, those that identity is almost always brought this duality can really complicate mental play a sport are becoming defined by this Ntogether by a wide array of everything health for athletes. Instead of the strong part of their lives. Starting in childhood,

that makes someone exactly who they are mental health foundation that comes with it becomes no longer just something they RESEARCH as an individual. We may balance many knowing yourself as an individual with a do, but something that determines their different labels that can each represent a multi-faceted identity, athletes, who put future and almost completely defines who portion of who we are. so much weight into that one identity, are they are. vulnerable to any blow to that part of who For athletes, this balance of identity often they are. Excelling at a sport often requires pretty gets especially tricky to manage. The label big time commitments and can command of “athlete” can grow to overpower all Living a duality of identity can make the significant dedication. It makes sense NEWSCOPE the rest and leave those with an athletic athletic lifestyle a very delicate situation that some other components of a young lifestyle straddling a duality of identity. for mental health. Yet it has become an person’s full life would fall away when On one side is their sport and life as an almost inevitable fact of the lifestyle as they choose athletics. athlete and on the other side is every other well. part of what makes them who they are as And then they start competing for athletic individuals. Defined By Athletics From a Young Age scholarships, some even winning their education as early as middle school. In the world of high-performance sport, Athletics may become such a large part of When their value as a person begins to the wider array of what makes up a person an athlete’s identity because they hardly rest on their athletic performance, that

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 37 PERSONA THEME

identity as athlete quickly becomes the most is that of them as “athletes”. That particular character, can be an incredibly most important one. The whole balance athletic side becomes everything. difficult task to take on. Often athletes who INNOVATIONS falls apart before they’ve gotten the chance have lost their known identity may deal to create a balanced identity. Loss of Individual Identity for Athletes: with mental health issues such as anxiety, Losing the Sport Can Mean Losing depression, and other psychological It doesn’t help that as athletes move up Everything effects resembling grief. further into their sports careers, they do so in view of the entire sports-enthusiast For professional athletes, their sports Parting with the athletic lifestyle, whether public. Performing for a fan base, identity career can easily become more than just voluntary or involuntary, is truly a loss. WELL-BEING is no longer just being created by the the way they make money. Taking up a For many athletes, what they lose is the athlete, but also by the audience that huge portion of the way they spend their central core of their identity. follows them. time and a significant aspect of what they are valued for, it can become the main Acknowledging All Aspects of an Living Under A Public Perception factor in their identity. Athlete’s Identity

Being an athlete, especially at the elite Having one thing define you more than Crucially, even before the loss signified IN FOCUS level, is a very public way of life. From any other can always become a problem, by retirement, an athlete is more than the idolization by fans to all the rest of no matter who you are. For athletes, one thing. Most are navigating a complex the attention that surrounds athletes, a defined by the sport they play, it’s an endeavor of holding a duality of identity. spotlight is on them. And athletes can incredibly common cause of mental An athlete on the one hand and an quickly feel the pressure to live up to the health issues. When so much rests on that individual on the other, it’s time to expectations of others and match their athletic identity, losing your sense of self recognize athletes for who they really are: public persona. as an athlete can mean losing yourself human beings. entirely. RESEARCH That public perception of their identity is You don’t have to be just one thing. You often also pretty one-dimensional. Others What does an athlete, defined by being can live on both sides of yourself. For the see them as an athlete and not much an athlete, have left when the winning sake of your mental health, you really else. With the pressure of that public streak ends, their passion for the game should get to know all of what makes you perception constantly on them, it can be dries out, or they are forced to give up the who you are, in and out of athletics. difficult for athletes to break away from athletic career? Particularly for athletes the label and see themselves as anything forced to retire after serious injury or poor Dr. Dawn Kamilah Brown is an NEWSCOPE more than an athlete either. performance, losing half of who they are internationally recognized ADHD can feel like losing it all. expert, double-board certified Athletes today are more than ever living Child, Adolescent, Adult and life in the public eye, and in the public eye, Facing the only side of themselves left, Sports Psychiatrist. the side of their dual identity that matters an individual with unique traits and a

38 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 NEWSCOPE PERSONA LATEST NEWS IN HEALTHCARE ROCHE ANNOUNCES THE UPCOMING LAUNCH OF THE SARS-COV-2 RAPID ANTIGEN TEST NASAL ALLOWING FOR PATIENT SELF-COLLECTION THEME oche announced that it has obtained the CE mark for its new SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen RTest Nasal. The test will be available in countries accepting the CE mark by mid- February 2021. INNOVATIONS

In comparison to the existing Roche SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test, the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Nasal collects the sample from the front area of the nose instead of the nasopharynx, resulting in a simplified and faster testing procedure. This testing method can WELL-BEING help reduce overall patient discomfort, particularly in sensitive individuals such as children, elderly people and/or people with disabilities. important role in the fight against Rapid Antigen Test in September 2020. Besides being less invasive, the test also COVID-19, especially in places where SD Biosensor, is currently preparing to provides patients with the option to laboratory testing is not available and submit an Emergency Use Authorisation self-collect their nasal sample under the quick results are needed, such as nursing (EUA) to the U.S. Food and Drug supervision of a healthcare professional. homes, healthcare facilities, and schools.” Administration (FDA). IN FOCUS Through reduced physical contact, this said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche method of testing can help to decrease Diagnostics. “The SARS-CoV-2 Rapid The test is the latest addition to Roche’s the risk of exposure to the virus for Antigen Test Nasal provides patients with comprehensive COVID-19 portfolio to healthcare professionals. Whether the test a more comfortable testing experience.” support healthcare systems in diagnosing could also be used without supervision of SARS-CoV-2 infection. a healthcare professional will depend on The launch is a partnership with SD local regulatory requirements. Biosensor Inc., with whom Roche has also SOURCE: www.health.economictimes. RESEARCH launched a SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antibody indiatimes.com/news “Rapid testing continues to play an Test in July and a SARS-CoV-2

BUDGET 2021: FINANCE MINISTER ANNOUNCES RS 64,180 CRORE BOOST FOR HEALTHCARE SECTOR NEWSCOPE

inance minister Nirmala of Rs 64,180 crore over a period of next the scheme will support over 17,000 rural Sitharaman announced a new 6 years. Sitharaman said that the scheme and 11,000 urban wellness centres. centrally sponsored scheme for will focus on developing capacities of This will be an addition to the national Fthe healthcare sector in Budget 2021 on healthcare systems, develop institutions health mission, she said. In addition, the February 01, 2021. for detection and cure of new and finance minister also announced that the emerging diseases. government will provide Rs 35,000 crore The ‘PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat for Covid-19 vaccines in 2021-22.She also Yojana’ will be launched with a total outlay She said that the main interventions under mentioned that two more India made

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 39 Covid-19 vaccines will be available in the physical and financial capital and being presented in a paperless format. It country soon. infrastructure, inclusive development for would be available to parliamentarians aspirational India, reinvigorating human and the public online. The finance minister highlighted that capital, innovation and R&D, minimum the budget proposals for 2021-22 rest government, and maximum governance. SOURCE: www.timesofindia.indiatimes. on six pillars -- health and well-being, For the first time this year, the budget is com

PERSONA COVID VACCINE: SINGLE-DOSE JOHNSON & JOHNSON JAB IS 66% EFFECTIVE THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING

IN FOCUS new single-dose vaccine has Regulatory Agency (MHRA) it could vaccine delivery commitments to the shown to be 66% effective against “significantly bolster” the country’s bloc, which has seen the EU confirm that Covid-19, and offered complete vaccine programme. it will bring in export controls on Covid Aprotection against hospitalisation and vaccines made in the bloc. death in trials. Crucially, no one needed hospital treatment or died from coronavirus after The EU has temporarily overridden a However, there are signs the jab, made the Janssen vaccine took effect in the section of the Brexit deal in relation to by Belgian pharmaceutical firm Janssen, international trial. Northern Ireland, over concerns the RESEARCH is less effective against the new variant country could become a backdoor for spreading in South Africa. The news comes shortly after Novavax vaccines from the EU to be sent into the announced their jab was 89% effective wider UK. The Johnson & Johnson-owned company overall in the UK and 60% in South is looking at whether two doses will give Africa. Both new vaccines will need to be Arlene Foster, DUP leader and Northern stronger or longer-lasting protection. It reviewed by regulators before they can be Ireland’s first minister, called the move “an aims to make one billion doses this year. used. incredible act of hostility” by the EU. NEWSCOPE The UK has ordered 30 million doses, the Meanwhile, the EU’s drugs regulator has It comes as the UK reported a further US 100 million and Canada 38 million. approved the use of the AstraZeneca 29,079 new coronavirus cases on vaccine for people aged over 18. Friday, and 1,245 deaths within 28 days UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock of a positive coronavirus test in the said if the jab was approved by Britain’s It comes amid an ongoing dispute over government’s daily figures, bringing the Medicines and Healthcare Products whether AstraZeneca is breaking its total deaths by that measure to 104,371.

40 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 Crucially, the Janssen trial looked at giving fight coronavirus when it encounters the significantly bolster our vaccination just one dose of the vaccine, which makes virus for real. programme, especially as a single-dose it significantly easier to roll out than those vaccine,” he said. requiring two. It is also investigating This is similar to the approach used by the whether giving two doses will give either University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. “Once the full data has been submitted stronger or longer-lasting protection. [to the MHRA], they will consider the PERSONA Dr Mathai Mammen, from Janssen, said: evidence to determine whether the The fact it works as a single dose and “A single dose regimen with fast onset vaccine meets robust standards of safety, can be kept in a standard fridge, while of protection and ease of delivery and effectiveness & quality.” others need super-cold storage, means storage provides a potential solution to the vaccine could have a significant role reaching as many people as possible. In the UK, the latest estimate for the R rate around the world. from the government’s scientific advisory “The ability to avoid hospitalisations group, Sage, is 0.7 to 1.1. It means that on “A one-shot vaccine is considered by the and deaths would change the game in average, every 10 people with the virus World Health Organization to be the best combating the pandemic.” will infect between seven and 11 other THEME option in pandemic settings,” said Dr people. Last week, the R rate was between Paul Stoffels, the chief scientific officer at The results are based on nearly 44,000 0.8 and 1. Johnson & Johnson. people who took part in the trial and 468 cases of Covid-19. The number of coronavirus cases in the He added the vaccine could “potentially UK remained virtually unchanged in the protect hundreds of millions of people However the vaccine was just 57% effective week to 23 January, according to Office for INNOVATIONS from serious and fatal outcomes of in the South African part of the trial, National Statistics (ONS) data. Its survey Covid-19”. where a new version of the coronavirus is suggests the epidemic is levelling off or spreading, compared with 72% in the US. perhaps very slightly falling - but not at The Janssen vaccine uses a common cold the rate hoped. virus that has been engineered to make it Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that harmless. the results from the early trials were “very More than 7.8 million people in the encouraging”, and if the vaccine was UK have so far received a first dose of a WELL-BEING It then safely carries part of the approved doses should be available later coronavirus vaccine, according to the coronavirus’s genetic code into the body. this year. latest government figures. This is enough for the body to recognise the threat and then learn to fight Mr Hancock said the Janssen SOURCE: www.bbc.com/news coronavirus. announcement was “yet more good news”.

This trains the body’s immune system to “If this jab is approved this could IN FOCUS COVID-19: NOVAVAX VACCINE SHOWS 89% EFFICACY IN UK TRIALS

medical editor Fergus Walsh said.

The UK has secured 60 million doses of

the jab, which will be made in Stockton- RESEARCH on-Tees in north-east England.

Meanwhile, a single-dose vaccine developed by Janssen is 66% effective, trial results have shown.

Janssen, a company owned by Johnson NEWSCOPE & Johnson, is also investigating whether giving two doses will give either stronger or longer-lasting protection.

The company said its initial findings showed one dose prevented 85% of severe cases.

new coronavirus vaccine has The Novavax jab is the first to show in Both the Novavax and Janssen jabs will need been shown to be 89% effective in trials that it is effective against the new to be reviewed by regulators before they can Alarge-scale UK trials. virus variant found in the UK, the BBC’s be used.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 41 The PM welcomed the “good news”, with said the results from the UK trial were Nadhim Zahawi, the UK minister doses of the Novavax jab expected to be “spectacular” and “as good as we could responsible for the vaccine rollout, said delivered in the second half of this year have hoped”, while the efficacy in South he was “particularly thrilled” to see the if approved for use by the Medicines and Africa was “above people’s expectations”. positive results as he had taken part in Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Novavax’s trials himself. (MHRA), the government said. He told the BBC the manufacturing plant in Stockton-on-Tees should be up In total, the UK has ordered 100 million The UK has so far approved three and running by March or April, with the doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine coronavirus vaccines for emergency company hoping to get approval for the and 40 million of the Pfizer-BioNTech

PERSONA use - one from Oxford University and vaccine from the MHRA around the same vaccine - both are currently being rolled AstraZeneca, another by Pfizer and time. out in the UK. BioNTech, and a third from drug firm Moderna. Minister Lucy Frazer told BBC Breakfast Another 17 million doses of the Moderna the government could not put an exact vaccine, which was approved by the The Novavax jab, which is given in two timeframe on when the Novavax jab MHRA in early January, are expected in doses, was shown to be 89.3% effective might be approved as the regulation the spring. THEME at preventing Covid-19 in participants process is “out of our control”. in its Phase 3 clinical trial in the UK, and The aim is to give everyone in the top four around 86% effective at protecting against Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the priority groups - up to 15 million people - the new UK variant. The jab’s efficacy new vaccine would be “another weapon a first dose by mid-February. against the original Covid-19 strain was in our arsenal to beat this awful virus”, if calculated to be 95.6%. approved. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rely on technology that has not been used in The Phase 3 trials - the final stage before Prof Paul Heath, chief investigator of the previous vaccines, but the Novavax a vaccine is looked at by a regulator - UK Novavax trial, said the trial findings jab uses a more traditional method of INNOVATIONS enrolled more than 15,000 people aged were “enormously exciting”, particularly recreating part of the spike protein of the between 18-84, of whom 27% were older because of the jab’s efficacy against the UK virus to stimulate the immune system. than 65, US firm Novavax said. variant. Like the Oxford vaccine, the Novavax jab In the South African part of the trial, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris can be stored at regular fridge temperature where most of the cases were the South Whitty said, if the jab is approved, it - which means it can be distributed more African variant of the virus, the vaccine “increases our future resilience” against easily. WELL-BEING was 60% effective among those without HIV. the virus. Stan Erck, chief executive of Novavax, SOURCE: www.bbc.com/news

COVID: INDIA LAUNCHES ONLINE MEMORIAL TO COMMEMORATE IN FOCUS PANDEMIC VICTIMS

India has reported more than 154,000 Covid-19 deaths, but infections have dropped sharply in recent months.

Social workers helped by doctors, health RESEARCH workers and journalists will help run the memorial.

The memorial - nationalcovidmemorial. in - was launched at the weekend by the Covid Care Network, a non-governmental organisation led by a team of doctors in the eastern city of Kolkata. NEWSCOPE

n online memorial to social workers. Tributes are already being posted on the commemorate Indians who have The virtual memorial will allow family site - families need to upload the death lost their lives to Covid-19 has members and friends of the victims to pay certificates of their loved ones or provide Abeen launched by a group of doctors and their tributes. their phone number for verification.

42 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 “A national Covid memorial is an to attend the funerals. Such was the should not be missing anyone,” Mr Ram said. initiative for Indians to keep alive the stigma and fear over the infection V Mohan, a physician who is advising the memories of their loved ones who that a crowd in south India in August memorial’s founders, said India didn’t have succumbed to the disease. This is a violently prevented the burial of a a tradition of commemorating the dead. place where everybody can join,” Dr prominent doctor who died of the disease. PERSONA Abhijit Chowdhury of the Network said. “We don’t have a tradition of memorials. N Ram, director of The Hindu Group We don’t remember the dead,” he said. “This memorial will restore some of Publications, said volunteers, NGOs “The tragedy and emotional trauma dignity of the people who died and were and journalists would be needed to help Covid caused will stay with the affected cremated without even their families gather tributes of “the poor and the families for decades. This is one place being allowed to attend the funeral”. destitute” who lost their lives to the virus. people can visit and relive memories. This should become a national movement.”

During the pandemic, family members THEME of the victims were mostly not allowed “The memorial has to be inclusive. We SOURCE: www.bbc.com/news

MESSE FRANKFURT INDIA & AMTZ TO LAUNCH MEDTECH INNOVATION INNOVATIONS FORUM IN INDIA WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH

esse Frankfurt Trade Fairs India India’s medical devices manufacturing support from apex industry bodies - is to collaborate with India’s industry and accelerate investment in its AIMED (Association of Indian Medical

medical devices manufacturing technologies. Device Industry) and ADMI (Association NEWSCOPE Mecosystem, Andhra Pradesh MedTech of Diagnostics Manufacturers of India) Zone Limited (AMTZ), to launch a Slated to run 7–8 October 2021 in ADMI. MedTech Innovation Forum. The aim of Visakhapatnam, a port city in the Indian the project is to showcase growth potential state of Andhra Pradesh, the first edition Raj Manek, managing director, Messe and developments in the Indian medical of the Innovation Forum is expected to Frankfurt Trade Fairs India, said: device industry, bring industry leadership together with “India’s response and agility in scaling government and medical consultants up manufacturing of medical devices The co-operation between the global to address challenges of import together with strong initiatives by the organiser and AMTZ should give dependency and the need for technology government on making the sector self- further impetus to the development of collaborations. The forum has received reliant makes it an opportune time

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 43 to introduce a forum that focuses on with 90% of sophisticated devices being edition of the Medical Device Innovation bringing medical technology innovations imported. The dialogue with medical Summit and is now closely working with to the forefront. We are proud to combine device manufacturers and innovators will industry leaders in the sector to launch strengths with AMTZ in this goal.” open up opportunities to empower the Medtech Innovation Forum as a large- country’s strong healthcare and medical format Confex in October 2021. The Indian medical devices market, which devices industry in the post Covid-19 era. accounts for more than 13% of the Asia- Touted as India’s largest medical Pacific (APAC) medical devices market, is Messe Frankfurt India has been actively devices manufacturing park, AMTZ is expected to grow at a compound annual involved in tracking industry growth and a scientific infrastructure supported by growth rate of 7.5% through 2025. Dr addressing rising concerns on counterfeit the government, which intends to reduce PERSONA Jitendra Sharma, MD & CEO, AMTZ products in the pharmaceutical industry import dependence and lower cost of elaborates: “The industry is poised for through its Pharmasafe India conference healthcare by up to 50%. significant growth in the next five years. and webinar series. In August 2020, the However, it is still largely import-driven Indian subsidiary held the first virtual SOURCE: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk

THEME INDIA-MADE COVISHIELD PART OF PAKISTAN JAB DRIVE UNDER VACCINE ALLIANCE INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS

RESEARCH ndia’s vaccine diplomacy took further all purchased vaccines and are on the week under the global Covax alliance, PM wing with 1 lakh anti-Covid shots commercial export list. Apart from the Imran Khan’s special assistant on health being sent to Oman, a close partner gifts, Mongolia (10 lakh) Nicaragua (3 Dr Faisal Sultan said on Sunday. Iin the Gulf, after having supplied the jabs lakh), Saudi Arabia (30 lakh), Myanmar to immediate neighbours. Later this week, and Bangladesh are among those who As a special Pakistani plane departed India is scheduled to send over 5 lakh have contracted to purchase vaccines for China to fetch the first batch of doses to Afghanistan. from India. The purchases are made Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine, Dr Sultan commercially but need export clearance announced that around seven million

NEWSCOPE India will also send 2 lakh doses to from the Indian government. out of the 17 million committed doses of Nicaragua, 1 lakh to Barbados, 70,000 Covishield would reach the country by to Dominica and 1.5 lakh to Mongolia, Meanwhile, around seven million made- March. though dates are yet to be finalised. in-India doses of AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine will be part of Pakistan’s free “Though AstraZeneca is being prepared Egypt, Algeria, UAE and Kuwait have Covid-19 vaccination drive starting next in India, it will come through Covax,

44 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 an international alliance which has announced free vaccines for 20% of Pakistan’s population. DRAP (Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan) has already registered both Sinopharm and AstraZeneca,” Dr Sultan said. PERSONA

The UN Covax initiative will see India selling about 100 lakh doses of vaccines. In addition, the UN will be buying about 4 lakh doses for its own workers all over the world.

India’s vaccination drive is attracting THEME attention, with Indian ambassador to the Philippines Shambu Kumaran tweeting on Sunday that the Asean nation was examining India’s rollout of inoculations, pointing to reports in the local media there. INNOVATIONS

SOURCE: www.health.economictimes. indiatimes.com/news

L&T TECHNOLOGY SERVICES WINS 2021 BIG INNOVATION AWARDS, USA WELL-BEING

&T Technology Services Limited LTTS has also been recognized for BIG Innovation Award, which is a true (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), a leading contextualizing its offering to suit the testament to the exemplary work done by global pure-play engineering ‘new normal’ scenario and create a LTTS engineers for our global customers. Lservices company, announced that two of new module, i-BEMS Shield for a safer With a formidable digital portfolio that its digital solutions have been recognized workplace environment. includes over 550 technology patents, with the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards in i-BEMS, LTTS’ smart building solutions LTTS is continually blending ideas and IN FOCUS the “Product” category presented by the for a post-COVID future - enables features innovations with investments in new Business Intelligence Group, USA. such as automated temperature detection, age technologies to deliver differentiated monitoring of building air quality, and engineering solutions uniquely designed LTTS has been recognized for its smart maintenance of social distancing to address complex real-life problems innovative products - Chest rAITM, norms. faced by the industry. LTTS’ AI based chest X-Ray analysis system to assist radiologists in improving Maria Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer Having joined hands with leading lights of RESEARCH speed and accuracy of diagnosis and of the Business Intelligence Group, USA the academic world to create innovations LTTS’ proprietary building automation said, “The pandemic has made mankind such as the Chest X-Ray analysis system, framework, i-BEMS that operates as an realize the true potential of technology in LTTS believes in creating an ecosystem enterprise IoT solution and unifies all positively influencing our lives like never of excellence to continue engineering the campus operations under one system. before. The world has witnessed some change for the benefit of society.” of the best of innovations in the last few

There is an acute shortage of radiologists months including democratization of The BIG Innovation Awards, recognizes NEWSCOPE across the globe, leading to delayed access to new-age medical technologies. organizations and people who bring new interpretation & decision and thus The role of engineering services in these ideas to life from companies across the longer wait time for patients. The AI- disruptions is commendable and we value globe, are judged by a panel of experts assisted solution from LTTS assists the consistent contributions made by which include a select group of business radiologists by fast triaging abnormalities LTTS on this front.” leaders and senior industry executives. in X-Ray, annotating and automatic report generation. LTTS has been lauded Dr Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing for creating a product that will benefit Director at L&T Technology Services said, SOURCE: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk millions. “We are pleased to receive the prestigious

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 45 FDA RELEASES ACTION PLAN FOR MEDICAL DEVICES PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS

edical devices have come a long adjustment is coming in America, with devices. way. From standard monitoring the FDA trying to stay ahead of the trends systems all the way to wearables, and the pandemic. Regulations and guidelines have long Mthese devices provide powerful and, since been part of the FDA’s protocols. at times, life-saving aid. Now, as more Details of the Plan Medical device manufacturers comply and more devices incorporate artificial with ISO 13485 FDA requirements, WELL-BEING intelligence (AI) and machine learning The plan spans from initial changes to ensuring safety and standardization for (ML), they require regulation. The U.S. the widespread effects the FDA hopes to health technologies. As the general public Food and Drug Administration recently see. First, the agency takes into account in the U.S. focuses on privacy and security announced new steps in that direction. product life cycles, patient care, safety, during a pandemic, manufacturers effectiveness, and innovation. These will again need to reevaluate consumer On January 12, 2021, the FDA released its factors are the underlying motivators for requirements for effectiveness and

IN FOCUS plan — the Artificial Intelligence/Machine making medical device changes. How security. Learning (AI/ML)-Based Software as a functional are these devices? Do they Medical Device (SaMD) Action Plan. In last a while? Can they predict conditions A top priority will be ensuring these the document, the administration lays out properly? devices have proper encryption to the next steps for regulation and rolling secure all the patient information. Each out medical devices of all kinds. The actions that the FDA is now focusing organization that develops them will be on include better machine learning responsible for patient care. These changes The plan comes at a time when the development, improved patient care, are especially important when scams and

RESEARCH COVID-19 pandemic is again reaching smarter algorithms, and creating a real- breaches are abundant. peak levels in the U.S. and around world performance impact. With these the world. As societies respond to the goals, the agency can now focus on The AI/ML plan comes from stakeholder pandemic, digital health has become a making medical devices as effective as feedback that the FDA received in 2019. norm. Now, the FDA is getting on board possible. Moving forward, the agency is sure to and seeking to make the right changes. consider the needs of the supply chain, That way, they can ensure these devices Another main action point in this plan too. are effective and safe for everyone. is for the FDA to continuously release NEWSCOPE regulatory frameworks. These guidelines How a Biden Administration Changes However, with changes like these, will help manufacturers, tech workers, Things industries of all kinds — primarily and healthcare employees understand manufacturing, healthcare, and how they can create, optimize and carry You may notice that political shifts technology — are going to see ripples. An out the right interactions with medical change everything. The effects trickle

46 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 down to even the smallest of things, like two regulations to be repealed whenever The Bigger Movement medical devices. Now that President Joe new regulation comes about. The age of digital health is here. With Biden is in office, the FDA’s methods will quick adaptation through the pandemic, look different. Not only does a Biden A seemingly counterintuitive move, healthcare providers know how to use presidency mean there’s a new head of the adding regulations just to take some tech in-person or from afar. AI and ML FDA in place, but executive orders from away would not help healthcare patients. devices are part of this movement. As the PERSONA the Trump era may see a reversal. Instead, Biden is gearing his focus towards industry continues to evolve, the FDA is the pandemic. This shift means that now seeking to catch up with such rapid For instance, a Trump executive order regulations will be strict and, at times, changes. Then, digital health can truly from January 2017 changed regulations. swift. Helping people, like rolling out new work for the good of humanity. It dictated that executive departments, guidelines for medical devices, is the end including the FDA, would need to find goal. SOURCE: www.intpolicydigest.org THEME AI-POWERED MEDICAL DEVICES: WHAT CAN INDIA LEARN FROM THE REGULATIONS FIASCOS IN EUROPE & THE US INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING IN FOCUS RESEARCH

ccording to a recent report by The EU and the US governments in regulating substantial number of medical devices in Lancet Commission, AI-powered AI-powered medical devices. We will also the last five years as the clinical adoptions

medical devices are poorly delve into the regulation of such devices increase. NEWSCOPE Aregulated in the European Union and the in India and what needs to be done to United States. improve it. However, according to the study, out of 462 approvals, only five devices in the Recently, scientists from University of What Is Happening In The US & The EU and the US sufficiently demonstrated Zurich have published a report on the EU? safety and effectiveness. approval process of medical devices in Majority of the AI-powered medical the EU and the US. The review exposed devices in the EU and the US are used The US has a centralised approval system, glaring loopholes in the process. by radiologists to interpret CT and MRI where the Food & Drugs Association Here, we try to analyse the failures of the scans. The US and the EU have approved a (FDA) solely maintains a repository of all

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 47 the approved medical devices. However, India lacks the infrastructure and legal It is also essential to take stock of the it still does not have a specific pathway frameworks for AI in general. AI-enabled medical device’s interaction to approve AI-based medical devices. with humans, especially for high-risk The most stringent ‘premarket approval’ In India, medical devices and drugs machines. The human element should process was used for only three of the 222 used to be under the same category until be accounted for in the approval process devices cleared in the US. recently. A clear distinction was made to do a more holistic assessment of the only in 2017 under the new Medical medical devices. However, the US has mooted an action Device Rules. However, it did not take plan to regulate AI-powered medical into account softwares used for medical Lastly, under the Medical Devices Rules,

PERSONA devices based on the product’s lifecycle. purposes under its purview. In 2020, an the US’ FDA or EU’s CE certified medical amendment was introduced. The change devices can be marketed in India without Meanwhile, in Europe, the approvals in law also mandated ISO certifications undergoing clinical trials. In the light of are not centralised. The EU-27, Norway, for importers or manufacturers of the The Lancet Commission’s study, this is Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and device. worrisome, and India needs to consider Turkey are allowed to approve medical the various categories of FDA and CE devices individually. Approvals are based While compliance with international approvals in detail. This is especially

THEME on the device’s classification, from Class norms does ensure some quality, the true in CE-approved devices since 12 I to III. Class III has the most stringent proposed framework still does not CE approvals were found to be unsafe or rules for approval. have specific provisions to deal with ineffective by the FDA. the dynamic demands of emerging Interestingly, only two devices out of technologies, the research showed. At the Wrapping Up the 240 were approved using Class III. same time, adopting Western standards Moreover, the approval of Class II and III and mechanisms for AI-based medical AI is making huge inroads into the can be done by Private Notified Bodies devices might limit AI innovations in healthcare industry. It presents immense who can confer Conformité Européenne healthcare, given the country’s unique potential, especially in a country like INNOVATIONS (CE) mark to the devices. Less than two ecosystem. India, with a flawed healthcare system. in three devices were approved using this However, as medical devices enter the mark. India does not have a framework to market, it is also essential to ensure their classify various medical devices based on effectiveness and safety. India’s Status a clinical understanding or AI modalities. Different levels of approvals, depending Countries worldwide need to develop India’s medical devices sector saw an on a ‘risk-assessment framework’, effective standardisation frameworks for

WELL-BEING inflow of FDI worth $1.8 billion from 2000 can drive innovation. Based on the AI-based medical devices with the right to 2019, with the market size expected to framework, the deployment of low-risk balance of innovation and safety. hit $50 billion by 2025. Forget AI-powered medical devices can be prioritised, and medical devices space, stringent regulation around high-risk medical devices can be ensured. SOURCE: www.analyticsindiamag.com IN FOCUS COVID-19: INDIA NOW 3RD TOPMOST COUNTRY TO GIVE HIGHEST DOSES OF VACCINE

ndia has become the third topmost vaccine under the countrywide Covid-19 number of beneficiaries being vaccinated country in the world in terms of the vaccination exercise. every day,” the ministry said. RESEARCH number of Covid-19 vaccine doses Iadministered, the Union Health Ministry The cumulative vaccination coverage “In another significant development, the said on Sunday. Only the United States includes 53,04,546 healthcare workers and country has reported less than 80 daily and the United Kingdom remain ahead of 4,70,776 frontline workers, the ministry deaths in the last 24 hours, lowest in nine India. said. months,” it said.

The ministry said 12 states in India have In a span of 24 hours, 3,58,473 beneficiaries The country’s total Covid-19 active case is

NEWSCOPE vaccinated more than 2 lakh beneficiaries were vaccinated across 8,875 sessions. 1.48 lakh which consists of 1.37 per cent each. Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for Also, a total 1,15,178 sessions have been of India’s total infections. 6,73,542 of all vaccinated beneficiaries. conducted so far. Till February 7, 8 am, a total of 57.75 India’s cumulative recoveries surged to lakh beneficiaries have received the “There has been a sustained increase in the 1.05 crore. A total of 12,059 new daily

48 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 PERSONA THEME INNOVATIONS WELL-BEING

cases have been recorded in a span of The ministry said 84.83 per cent of the follows with 16 daily deaths and Punjab 24 hours whereas 11,805 patients have daily new cases are from 6 States and UTs. reported 5 casualties, the ministry said. recovered and discharged during the same period. Kerala reports the highest daily new cases Seventeen states and UTs have not at 5,942. It is followed by Maharashtra reported any deaths in a span of 24 hours.

The ministry said 81.07 per cent of the with 2,768, while Karnataka reported 531 These include Haryana, Goa, Jammu and IN FOCUS new recovered cases are observed to be new cases. Kashmir (UT), Jharkhand, Puducherry, concentrated in 6 states and UTs. Meghalaya, Nagaland, Lakshadweep, A total of 78 fatalities have been recorded Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Andaman and Kerala has reported the maximum number in a span of 24 hours. Nicobar Islands, Ladakh (UT), Mizoram, of single day recoveries with 6,178 newly Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. recovered cases. A total of 1,739 people Five states and UTs account for 69.23

recovered in Maharashtra in a span of 24 per cent of the daily deaths. Maharashtra SOURCE: www.health.economictimes. RESEARCH hours followed by 503 in Tamil Nadu. saw the maximum casualties (25). Kerala indiatimes.com/news

HOW IS TRAINING FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION ACTIVITIES BEING DONE?

raining of healthcare workers for Health-care personnel including state and health workers from health and line NEWSCOPE COVID-19 vaccination drive is district programme managers, medical ministries are engaged through cascaded a major task that the Ministry of officers (MOs), vaccinator officers and trainings. Earlier, the Union Health THealth and Family Welfare has taken up alternate vaccinator officers, Information Ministry has written to states, directing with the help of other ministries. For this Education and Communication (IEC) them to prepare protocol to train private like any other new vaccination program officer, cold chain handlers, supervisors, vaccinators to administer shots once a healthcare providers are responsible for data managers, Accredited Social Health vaccine is available. handling and administering the vaccine as Activist (ASHA) coordinators, Mahila well as be a major source of information Arogya Samiti, Non-Government The vaccination plan also says that in for the community. Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society case of shortage, alternate vaccinators Organisations (CSOs) and other frontline may be arranged from recently retired

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 49 of vaccine and logistics and ensure timely reporting of coverage and other data. In addition, plans are there to orient the faculty of Preventive and Social Medicine departments in medical colleges as well as professional bodies such as Indian Medical Association, Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Trained Nurses

PERSONA Association of India (TNAI) etc. involved in immunization service delivery.

All training sessions are interactive and are used for the adult learning methodologies such as PowerPointpresentations, instructive videos, role plays, exercises

THEME and interactive discussions. Recent trainings of health workforce on infection prevention and control and modalities for sustaining immunization coverage during COVID-19 pandemic across the country were undertaken using virtual platforms staff, medical and nursing colleges,private of beneficiary and photo ID verification without any major issues in reaching hospitals and other organizations like before entering the waiting room/area block level programme managers, Defense, Railways, and Employee State (Police, home, guard, Civil defense, although some limitation of Information INNOVATIONS Insurance (ESI) etc.Separate training National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Technology access was observed in sessions have been organized for ASHAs, Service Scheme (NSS). The next level will training of frontline work. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Mahila have vaccination officers to Authenticates Arogya Samitis and volunteers for / verify documents in the Co-WIN system SOURCE: www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/isw/ effective community mobilization. The (Health / Integrated Child Development How-is-training-for-covid-19-vaccination- officials and staff of the Department Scheme (ICDS) / other government activities-being-done.html ofWomen and Child Development have department e.g. election model). The last

WELL-BEING also been oriented for it. stage of vaccination officer is responsible for vaccination of beneficiary, recording The various categories of staff have been and reporting and provides key messages. Compiled by: deployed at the COVID-19 vaccination All these activities are supervised under a Parthvee Jain, Editor, site. They will be trained as per their roles. Supervisor, who is responsible to supervise InnoHEALTH Magazine At the initial stage vaccination officers 3-5 vaccination sites. He will also be have been deployed to check registration status responsible to ensure adequate availability IN FOCUS Advertise with InnoHEALTH magazine Online editions

RESEARCH ADVERTISE ON POST SPONSORED WEBSITE CONTENT ON WEBSITE oo o o n o on no n onon n n n ooon on o on o Rate card Rate card NEWSCOPE innohealthmagazine.com/advertise/ innohealthmagazine.com/advertise/sponsored- website-advertisement-rate-card content-rate-card

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50 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 BOOK REVIEW Reviewed by Sachin Gaur Executive Editor InnoHEALTH Magazine

n the past whenever a defining technology has emerged in the biotech to nuclear, the governments have Itaken stock of the situation and defined frameworks so that we do not have an apocalyptic scenario.

Safety and security are right in the centre of deployment and not an afterthought. For the topic of artificial intelligence it seems that it is not the governments who are in the leading seat but the large internet companies for which the goals may not be the same. Also, the weakest link in the global supply chain could be naïve software programmers working in these large corporates rolling out software updates impacting billions of people without much attention to safety and security.

Healthcare is a topic where artificial intelligence has much to offer in terms of increasing access and reducing the cost of care. Having said that patient safety and quality in healthcare is also a key aspect. Hence, when we onboard AI tools into the care process, we should pay attention to the debate of control problems, how AI operates in tandem with the human, is the decision explainable and operation of the AI controllable. If you are interested in how this important debate is shaping up on making AI compatible with humans and can humans control AI, this book is for you.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 51 Advt. Pilot initiatives of using digital health technologies to promote evidence based tele-medicine practice during COVID 19 period in rural India Partha Chakraborty

mportance of digital health solution in the current world during ICOVID-19 Pandemic situation Providing efficient health solutions to this growing population is posing a major threat to this current world. Digital health platform is providing overall health coverage and has become a vital tool to serve the vulnerable. According to Bernardo Mariano, WHO’s Chief Information Officer, “Digital Health is the future of healthcare. As we take the big leap into digital health, we must ensure that it is people centric, delivers positive health outcomes, does no harm to people and it actually improves the healthcare system as a whole.” The limitations of physical healthcare system infrastructure and supplies have worsened the whole health system scenario during Covid-19. People living in rural areas are not getting HaemurEx device proper treatment due to lack and cost of transportation. Not only patients, the doctors and health workers also get a tele-enabled, battery operated, point It is also integrated with digital prescription benefited from this digital health platform of care photo analyzer, designed for and electronic medical records. Apart by providing necessary advice without potential clinical purpose(s) and a from the standard features available visiting the actual infected area. In cloud based lightweight tele-health in a telemedicine platform, Arogyam addition to this, the social distancing norm management system, known as Arogyam Health is connected with a lightweight has effectively shut down the traditional Health. HaemurEx can test 25 clinical 12 lead digital ECG, BP Monitor, SPO2, face-to-face care. Digital health platforms chemistry parameters blood & urine thermometer, stethoscope. All the can become the solution here during this related to diabetes management, liver, equipment can transmit information COVID-19 pandemic situation. cardiovascular, and kidney function. Use remotely to a health-cloud, hosted on of HaemurEx has been cleared by CDSCO, EU GDPR (European Union General Arogyam Telehealth solution with Govt of India with regulatory approved Data Protection Regulation) and HIPPA connected devices reagents and received CE compliance compliant platform. All the health certification. It comes with the Arogyam information remains protected and Arogyam Medisoft Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Health is easy to use e-Health platform, confidential on HaemurEx cloud server. It a Kolkata based startup, incubated at accessible through various computing gives real time advice even in the Indian BioNest, SIIC, IIT Kanpur, has invented devices, such as a tablet, laptop or desktop. languages.

52 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 Advt.

conferencing will not be sufficient to practice evidence-based medicine in future. The ability to measure oxygen saturation, blood pressure, temperature and cardiac outputs, to hear chest & lungs sound have made this device unique in this pandemic situation as determining the co-morbidities has become one of the most important aspects of the whole treatment. Ability of testing of these biomarkers at point of care, specifically in rural healthcare can be beneficial for the successful management of various disease conditions. Ease of use, not depending on 220 V power supply and ability to carry the system in a small bag are other unique features of this platform.

This platform can advance universal access to healthcare in countries like India. It can bring all primary health centers and sub centers and outreach Remote consultations and check up are clinics together where the patients get going on at Purulia doctor’s consultation and follow-ups as well as medicine. This collaborative plan between the community leaders and rural hospitals, practicing community provided essential medicine charged Rs and health care providers is bringing the medicine and piloted so far to treat more 10/- at no profit basis. Arogyam Medisoft unconnected individuals especially the than 16000 patients. has been able to provide a scalable villagers into formal healthcare systems. infrastructure that comes with physician’s In a remote clinic of Serving the God consultation, essential diagnostics & Arogyam Medisoft is supported by Dept. Foundation at Purulia, West Bengal essential medicines for 100000 people. Of Science & Technology, Govt of India. This platform is being used in interiors Serving the God Foundation, Kolkata It has been showcased at WHO global of Purulia District of West Bengal, treated more than 700 patients, added forum of medical devices, promoting 300km from Kolkata, for the past two an ambulance, an infrastructure to accessible and affordable healthcare. It years in a pilot initiative of evidence- remotely treat diabetic retinopathy got awarded in various forums including based community medicine practice to and remote consultation by leading Bengalathon organized by Govt of provide healthcare services to population gynecologist, Dr Mitali Mukhopadhyay West Bengal, HealthHack organized by outside the mainstream healthcare system and Dr. Lipika Das Mukhopadhyay. Dr. BCCI & Medica Hospital, NASSCOM in collaboration with Serving the God Bannerjee is extending outreach through Emerge 50. It has been recently selected Foundation, Kolkata, led by Dr. Santanu medical camps at nearby villages to German Development Corporation Bannerjee, treating more than 3500 provide support to the patients suffering (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale patients. The clinic at Manihara village from chronic diseases like diabetes and Zusammenarbeit - GIZ) for piloting the is set up by the foundation and all the hypertension. platform further. components of eHealth are progressively being installed at the clinic. The doctors In remote clinics & camps of Shramajibi Pilot Application of Arogyam Health visit the remote health center once in Swasthya Udyog at Cooch Behar & Solution a month. The physicians provide their Purba Medinipur, West Bengal Arogyam Health platform & devices are consultations remotely through Arogyam developed in consultation with physicians Health platform. The patients are One similar project is being run by Shramajibi Swasthya, led by Dr. Punyabrata Gun where they are using Not only patients, the doctors and health Arogyam Health platform successfully workers also get benefited from this digital to deliver health outcomes to more than 200 rural patients during Covid 19 period health platform by providing necessary advice since June 2020. without visiting the actual infected area.

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 53 Advt.

Training is going on with Arogyam’s help in Arunachal Health clinics going on using HaemurEx and Arogyam Tele-Health Platform in Arunachal Pradesh

In remote primary health sub centres of plantation in African country, Arogyam state, it can generate employment of 1000- Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh Medisoft has deployed HaemurEx & 1200 rural youth. It can also be linked Arogyam Health Platform for a plantation with the National Rural Health Mission, Being chosen as winner of the Arunachal in African country, where the company Pradhan Mantri Jan Oshudhi Program Pradesh Social Entrepreneurship wants to extend the facility of modern and Ayushman Bharat Wellness clinic Meet, Arogyam Medisoft has deployed medicine for the safety and welfare of its programs. It can improve preventive HaemurEx & Arogyam Health Platform employees in an affordable and accessible health and wellness and as well can reduce in Changlang District of Arunachal way. pressure on hospitals. This, in turn, can Pradesh, under the supervision of DMO, advance universal access to healthcare in since November 2020, connecting District Conclusion countries like India. Hospitals with community health- centers (CHC), primary health centers The HaemurEx device and the Arogyam & sub centers, providing e-Healthcare, Health platform has huge potential essential diagnostic and essential in rural health during this pandemic medicines. Arogyam provides all types situation due to its ease of use, portability, of the technology infrastructure, training no dependence on external power supply by teaming up with a local partner, in and calibration-independent nature. collaboration with Govt. of Arunachal This system can be used in all primary Pradesh. physicians from leading centers health centers and sub-centers and across India and USA are providing outreach clinics in combination with treatment using Arogyam Health provisioning of physician consultation Terminal in Arunachal. Effectiveness of and essential medicine. In future, a the program will be evaluated in the next micro entrepreneur-based model using 6 months to decide on speed of further a local partner is envisioned, ensuring scale up. local livelihood generation in the rural areas. If the plan can be deployed over In employee health centers of a 600 health centers through one particular

The ability to measure oxygen saturation, blood Partha Chakraborty is the pressure, temperature and cardiac outputs, Chief Scientific Officer at Arogyam Medisoft Solution to hear chest & lungs sound have made this Pvt. Ltd. Arogyam Medisoft device unique in this pandemic situation as (www.arogyammedisoft. com) is an IOT based digital determining the co-morbidities has become solutions company focused in one of the most important aspects of the whole the healthcare & agriculture industry. treatment.

54 Volume 6 | Issue 2 | March - April 2021 IC InnovatorCLUB A not-for-profit initiative

About Membership details The IC InnovatorCLUB is created for The membership for the IC innovators and its mission is to support InnovatorCLUB is open for individuals, the growth of its members in their roles organisations and institutions in as a innovators, mainly through both physical and virtual formats. education, local and global networking, Enthusiasts can fill the form available and strategic alliances and partnerships. at www.bit.ly/ic-club-membership

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