Medical Devices Promotion Council to be set up, says Suresh Prabhu

Medical Devices Promotion Council to be set up, says Suresh Prabhu

 News:

The government has recently announced the setting up of a National Medical Devices Promotion Council (NMDPC) under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Important Facts:

1. The proposed council will be headed by Secretary, DIPP.
2. Apart from the concerned departments of Government of India, the council will have representatives from the health care industry and quality control institutions.
3. The Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone, Visakhapatnam, will provide technical support to the council.

Major Objectives/ Functions of the Council

1. The Council will act as a facilitating and promotion & developmental body for the Indian medical device industry
2. It will hold periodic seminars, workshops to deliberate on various parameters for inclusion in the industrial and trade policies in medical devices.
3. It would also identify redundant processes and render technical assistance to the agencies and departments concerned to simplify the approval processes involved in the sector.
4. The NMDPC would support dissemination and documentation of international norms and standards for medical devices, by capturing the best practices in the global market and facilitate domestic manufacturers to rise to international level.
5. It will also drive a preferential market access policy, by identifying the strengths of the Indian manufacturers and discouraging unfair trade practices in imports.
6. It would make recommendations to government based on industry feedback and global practices on policy and process interventions to strengthen the medical technology sector.

Significance of the council:

The establishment of the council would aid boost manufacturing, attract investments and promote exports of the medical devices industry in India which has been growing steadily.