india

Updated: May 05, 2019 11:27 IST

The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing body for the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), has set up a unit to promote innovations that reduce dependence on imported technologies to make quality health care affordable.

The NHA “innovation unit” comprises a four-member team that will sift through applications from start-ups, including organisations and individuals, offering technologies that lower cost. Ayushman Bharat is the Modi government’s flagship public health insurance scheme.

“Lot of start-ups offer affordable health care by innovating on expensive technologies that exist. Many have approached us with proposals to develop cost-effective machines, gadgets, diagnostic kits, data privacy technology etc to bring down the cost significantly,” said Dinesh Arora, deputy CEO, Ayushman Bharat.

“…There is a greater need to cultivate a landscape of synergies fixated on innovations centred on the Indian health care system to constantly evolve and deliver better outcomes through PMJAY… Thus, for focusing efforts in building an ecosystem geared towards accelerating innovations and facilitating partnerships with the external stakeholders’ present in the health care sector, a National Health Authority Innovation Unit is being established,” reads the NHA the order.

“The members of the innovation unit will vet applications and refer the selected ones to the government departments concerned for expert opinion,” said Arora. The NHA will take a call on whether to accept the proposal on the basis of feedback it receives from departments concerned.

Pavan Choudary, director general, Medical Technology Association of India said, “This is welcome news. The development of health care technologies is dependent on the emergence of a complex ecosystem...”.