Chasing Technological Advancement –Medicall 2019

Medicall 2019, held in Mumbai had much to contribute to the medical equipment sector – industry representatives assert… - By Ranjana Konatt, Editor – Brand Positioning

Medicall – An expo dedicated to the Medical Equipment sector in India was held from December 13th to the 15th at the Bombay Convention Exhibition Centre, Goregaon. The expo hosted exhibitors showcasing the latest in the hospital equipment, its technologies, integrated systems and services. The event also saw the display of approximately 6000 products spread across 400 exhibitors who have represented in around 20 countries. While there has been much advancement in technology, the event was home to several interactive sessions. Both industry players and representatives benefited from the showcase while also gaining insight into the technical and technological innovations being pursued across a wide client base. To name a few products being exhibited, the event showcased several medical solutions, such as implants, infusion pumps, lab equipment, monitoring equipment, medical gas, calibration services, OT lighting systems, pharmacy storage solutions, ventilators and much more. With a broad showcase across the medical equipment and the health sector, the event was visited by medical practitioners, dealers, purchase managers and healthcare professionals. Here are some excerpts on what industry representatives had to say.

Keshav Singhal, Head of Sales, Ventek India
“We manufacture LED lighting solutions for OT. These are OT lights used for major OT surgeries. The lights come with variable colour temperature and with laminar flow compatibility and doctors very often perform cardiovascular procedures using our lighting technologies. The system is equipped with feather touch controls and it also has a variable colour temperature with which one can use the yellow or the white lights separately. A key feature with our product is the endo-mode wherein you can adjust the lighting depending on the memory of any previous lighting system that was used. Havin proper lighting in terms of brightness and the mix of colours is essential especially during OT procedures. We aim to capture distributors across the country and our product is made for a client-base interested in turn-key solutions; hence we are hoping to build a strong distributor base. From the technology point of view, in the past five years, the medical industry has grown and so has our lighting technology. Designs have improved and there is technical stability, energy efficiency and many other factors that have improved overall which also has contributed to the growth of the industry. A key factor is that initially, halogens were used and operated at 150 watts, and now we use LED technology that operates at 50 watts.”

Satheesh Kumar, Technical Director, New Gen Imaging Solutions
“We deal with re-furbished imaging equipment, and we focus on the cardiology side of things. Our products and equipment are used in labs and are sold to those customers who cannot afford new equipment. Our focus is tier one and tier two cities where we have medium level hospitals using our products. Our equipment is pre-owned; however, we ensure that after the equipment is re-furbished it is up to the mark concerning standards and OEM requirements. As a company working in the medical equipment space, we see ourselves filling in the gap and the requirement of the industry. A piece of equipment which would otherwise cost 60 lakhs can now be availed for 15lakhs. We are now planning to align with ISO 13485 which is specifically for medical equipment. Overall, we comply with regulatory requirements laid out by the Government of India. So far, our equipment has been installed in 60 labs and we have 20 plus MRI and CT customers across India. From the industry point of view, we need a government-based regulatory body as many players are compromising on the quality and on industry regulation. As a result of this, we see genuine players getting affected. So far, we have a good response from our clients in Maharashtra and we have a large install base.”

Pradeep S, Chief Executive, IMC Corporation
“We are a hospital furniture manufacturing company based out of Chennai. We usually concentrate on South India, but now we are looking at expanding north. A key product we focus on is our electric examination table – with head and height functions, the electric examination table has a complete touch LCD panel that has six functions –the head, leg, front and the reverse tilt; along with this we also have a key function where the length of the bed can be adjusted electrically to accommodate a taller patient. We also have a weight monitoring system that has sensors; and with this system, if the patient gets up from the bed there will be an alarm that sets off intimating the nurse at the station. We see a growing demand for our products and now with the number of new models entering the market, we have a few porsche customers who can have this bed in their hospital. We also have a facility where the bed can be connected to Bluetooth and to Wi-Fi through the hospital network and the ERP system. Over the years, we have been investing in technology, and we are planning to have infotainment – something that will add up to the patient’s entertainment experience.”

Reema Roy, Marketing Manager, Forbo
“Forbo is a European brand, and we are a swiss-based organisation. We manufacture end-to-end indoor floorings that are used in hospitals. Right from the entrance matts to the operation theatre; our floorings are made of Marmoleum, a Post Event 42 November-December 2019  Medical Equipment & Automation product that can inhibit the growth of bacteria stems. The antibacterial quality of Marmoleum does not diminish over time, giving peace of mind. We also have another kind of flooring called Colourex SD – a product that enables safe electrostatic discharge through the thickness of the tile. The product is a formed dense network of tiny carbon black veins that finds use in laboratories, clean rooms, pharmaceutical labs, production sites and operation theatres. We have certificates for all our products and they are all manufactured in Europe. Concerning the market – the market is changing and India is also matching up to international standards. India has a long way to go and must catch-up but again it would be wrong to say that we are not progressing.”


Milan Shah, CEO, Simtek
“We have been a medical equipment manufacturer since the past 25years, and we manufacture medical equipment for gynaecology. We focus on maternity homes, foetal dopplers, monitors, and we have also been functioning in the areas of syringes, infusion pumps, volumetric infusion for the past 15 to 17 years. Our products have new tech-savvy upgrades – they have a high accuracy level and are trackable and are Wi-Fienabled. Our machines (monitors) can detect blockages very fast. The market demand for our equipment has been growing by five to seven per cent each year and the machine is made for the Indian market. Unfortunately, the medical equipment market in India seems to be headed more towards sales rather than quality manufacturing and more an increasing number of players prefer just purchasing products from China.”

R. Vijayraghavan, Site Medical
“We distribute for the company – AgVa ventilators. It is a revolutionary product and is manufactured in India. A key feature is that our product is low-cost and can be very useful for nursing homes and ambulances just because of its affordability factor. The price of our product is around 1.7 lakhs which is affordable for most customers, and especially for those patients in need of home care. The ventilator is equipped with a volume control mode, pressure control mode and can even be used in the non-invasive mode.”

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