| According to the WHO, health technology refers | | | | Many people in India have access to cell phones |
| to the application of organized knowledge and skills | | | | that opens for a potential healthcare in the form |
| in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, | | | | of mobile health solutions. Investments in VAS |
| procedures and systems developed to solve a | | | | (Value Added Services) related to health will be a |
| health problem and improve quality of lives. | | | | major investment & revenue generator. |
| Advancing health technologies increases the health | | | | Telemonitoring reduces hospital and emergency |
| care costs. Health is a major financial problem and | | | | room visits. Telephonic disease management |
| a serious issue the world over. Investment in | | | | increases enrollment rates. In metropolitan cities, |
| health technology is essential for long term | | | | most people have access to Internet. Telehealth |
| financial stability and to improve efficiency, | | | | has a great investment potential and is the key |
| support consistent delivery of quality health care | | | | to success of chronic and rural healthcare. |
| and to avoid high-cost inpatient settings. | | | | Laboratory & diagnostic services: imaging and |
| Health care investment in India | | | | pathology labs |
| According to an ICRA industry report on | | | | Outsourcing of laboratory testing and diagnostic |
| Healthcare, India invested 5.1 % of its GDP on | | | | services is set to become big business in India. |
| health in 2001. The health market is estimated at | | | | According to a study on the Indian healthcare |
| $30 billion and includes retail pharmaceutical, | | | | industry, the US$ 864 million diagnostics and |
| healthcare services, medical and diagnostic | | | | pathology laboratory testing business is growing at |
| equipment and supplies. The private sector | | | | a CAGR of 20 per cent. As part of its |
| dominated in the health care market and this | | | | cost-cutting efforts, Britain may contemplate |
| increased participation by the private sector in | | | | shipping blood and urine samples from National |
| healthcare services is stimulating change in the | | | | Health Service (NHS) patients to India for clinical |
| Indian healthcare industry. Government of India | | | | tests and get the test results over the Internet. |
| has endorsed tariff and non-tariff measures that | | | | Medical devices |
| have further stimulated health care market | | | | The biomedical devices market in India is |
| development by allowing more hospitals to offer | | | | unofficially estimated at around US$ 1.5 billion and |
| critical care services. These investments are | | | | about 80 per cent of this is met through imports. |
| expected to lowered health care cost for patients | | | | Cardiology equipment constitutes about 20 per |
| suffering from life threatening diseases. | | | | cent of the total market, followed by imaging |
| Investment opportunities | | | | systems -accounting for 15 per cent. Telemedicine |
| The Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Indian | | | | services can create a demand for diagnostic |
| Healthcare Federation estimates that there is an | | | | medical equipment such as X Ray machines, CT |
| investment opportunity of approximately US$25 | | | | scanners, Doppler's ultrasound scanners and |
| billion over the next 8-10 years to establish health | | | | electrocardiographs. |
| technologies and other facilities that will put the | | | | Conclusion |
| sector on the global healthcare map. | | | | In conclusion investment in health technology is |
| Telemedicine | | | | beneficial for both the health care provider and |
| Health information technology improves the | | | | for the patient. Health technology has a potential |
| delivery of healthcare services and efficiency | | | | to reduce health care cost the by shifting care |
| levels. Telemedicine improves accessibility of to | | | | away from higher cost inpatient settings and the |
| health care facilities for the patient living in remote | | | | benefits associated with this technology are |
| areas. Telemedicine has a great investment | | | | projected to outweigh investment cost. Rising |
| potentially in that is changing the lives of over 600 | | | | opportunities bring an increasing number of foreign |
| million people in rural India. | | | | investors to India. |
| Mobile technology | | | | |