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Favourable Ecosystem Lifts Medical Device
Manufacturing In Gujarat
Mr D L Pandya, Editor & CEO,
MEDICAL PLASTICS DATA SERVICE and
www.medisourceasia.com
Gujarat has been the pioneer state for the Indian Medical Device Industry. I
have already explained the origin and initial growth of Gujarat Medical Device
Industry in one of my articles in this publication earlier. For the benefit of
the readers once again, the turning point for the Gujarat Industry was covering
of I.V.sets, Needles and some other products under Food and Drug Control
regulations when the Gujarat Medical Device Companies entered the transition
phase and started facing challenges both for the quality requirements as well as
manufacturing systems.
Around this time, UNIDO initiated a cluster development program for the
pharmaceutical units in Gujarat which was extended to the medical device
industry also. This program was carried forward by Foundation of MSME Clusters
(FMC).
The programme addressed these challenges in a step-by-step approach by building
awareness among firms, sustaining a group approach to purchase of business
development service (BDS), creating institutional linkages and finally building
the capacity of existing and newly created associations to ensure the
sustainability of the process.
As a result of these initiatives large number of units in Gujarat embarked on
quality up-gradation, many of them made an investments varying from Rs 5 to 50
lakhs or even more. New Business Development Services (BDS ) providers were
introduced in the areas of quality, factory level training, contract business,
export market and other support services. The program created or strengthened
linkages with technical/developmental institutions like :
01 B.V.Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre (PERD)
02 National Institute Of Pharmaceutical Education And Research (NIPER)
03 Central Institute Of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET)
04 Indo-German Tool Room (IGTR)
05 Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC)
06 Electronics & Quality Development Centre (EQDC)
07 National Institute Of Design (NID)
08 Entrepreneurship Development Institute Of India (EDII)
09 Facilitation Centre For Industrial Plasma Technologies, Gandhinagar.
10 Large No of Internationally Recognized Reputed Institutes Offering Academic &
Professional Courses.
However, the growth did not stop at that level . The Industry Support Eco-System
which included the above mentioned institutions and some more available in
Gujarat and particularly those of specific relevant to the Medical Device
Manufacturing Sector kept of growing resulting in not only continuing of the
fast growth of the Industry but also upward movement of the Industry in the
value chain.
Polymers, Major Raw Material For Medical Disposables
The large scale presence of Pharmaceuticals, Polymers / Plastics as well as
Engineering / Machinery sector Industry is also a major contributory factor.
It will be very useful to know the strengths and developmental activities being
carried out by some of the contributing Institutions to understand how the
Eco-System in Gujarat is helping the Industry to maintain leading position in
the Indian Medical Device Manufacturing Sector.
Gujarat FDCA And Its Catalytic Role
From the beginning to the current stage of development, the role of Gujarat FDCA
has been exemplary. It has remained more a guiding and motivation force all
through out the growth of medical device companies in Gujarat. Under the
leadership of Dr H G Koshia , with many innovative initiatives like E-Governance
the Gujarat FDCA has won even many awards not only in India but from
international agencies like WHO, Bill and Melinda Foundation etc. Many of these
initiatives by Gujarat FDCA have been replicated by various leading states in
the country.
The current on hand project of setting up of a dedicated medical device testing
lab in the country would will be a great help to the Industry both with respect
of compliance as well as quality.
One more project under implementation is the by Gujarat FDCA is the detection
detection of serious adverse events (SAE) caused by the use of medical devices
to ensure patient safety. This is being developed in collaboration with NIPER.
Growth Of NABL accredited Medical Device Testing Facilities In Private Sector
The private sector also plays an important role in the state ecosystem. Recently
one of the laboratories locates near Ahmedabad , “Accuprec Research Labs Pvt
Ltd”, has received the Accreditation from National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Established in 2012 with an
objective to provide research and development solution for Pharmaceuticals,
Biotechnology, Food and Medical device, the fully equipped laboratory with
high-tech advanced instruments and a big team of highly qualified technical
personnel to carry our Research and Development activities had signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government of Gujarat in the year 2015.
This will reduce time and money for the Sate based Medical Device Companies due
to reduction or elimination of the need for re-testing of products in
other regulated countries, wherever they would like to register their products
for exports. |
