CONTINUOUS INNOVATION IS IN THE DNA OF MEDORAH MEDITEK
What are some significant innovations in your respective field(s)? Which among these is the most exciting and why? How will it (or they, if more than one) impact your organisation?
Today, the medical device manufacturing sector stands north of USD 450bn globally, and Gastroenterology/pulmonology Endoscopic products constitute a considerable portion, with an expected market growth of 6.6%. This particular domain is our primary area of operations. A significant number of innovations are taking place across the globe within this domain. These innovations have replaced open surgeries with minimally invasive products, which provide life-changing benefits to the patients.
The latest innovation in this field is disposable endoscopes/ bronchoscopes. The concept initially gathered steam before the onset of Covid-19. However, this concept is still in the adolescent phase, and we believe there is significant room for growth due to growing concerns about infection transmission with reusable endoscopes. We at Medorah believe that developing disposable endoscopes here in India will open a new plethora of opportunities for Indian companies due to the notable cost-benefit. We can deliver the product at a price which is less than the cost that Americans or European manufacturers incur to reprocess the endoscopes. Medorah, as an organisation, plans to invest in this innovative product to be the market leader in India.
Are you planning any new launches or looking to open up new markets?
Continuous innovation is in the DNA of Medorah. We have several products in the development stage, one of which is the PIVOT® EUS-FNA/EBUS needle. Our team has invested significant efforts in developing this product, and soon, it will be introduced in the Indian market. With that, we will join the league of three major global manufacturers who presently offer this product. We are sure that this product will be a game-changer for Medorah Meditek.
We have also involved the country's top gastroenterologists in the product development process, and their feedback has been very positive regarding patient benefits.
Further, to capture a substantial global market share, we plan to get our product Ce-certified as abundant international opportunities are available within this device segment.
What are some of the items that we import currently should be considered for developing and manufacturing in India? Could cooperation between you and Indian institutions (such as the IITS and engineering ones) or other Indian manufacturers benefit you? For example, a tie-up between a manufacturer of gloves and medical apparel with an Indian rubber
plantation (latex producer) might be mutually beneficial for both?
The Indian medical device sector has traditionally been import dependent for technology intensive devices and the market for endoscopic products is no different. Currently, India is 90% dependent on imported endoscopic devices. We are the first Indian company to enter this device segment. Not only the first but at par or even better in quality than the current MNC’S products. The response of healthcare providers towards the quality of our products has been very encouraging, and they feel delighted with getting a global quality from an Indian manufacturer for the first time.
We started our R&D process in 2016, and the journey has been full of challenges since then. There are multiple issues as far as manufacturing is concerned for the segment that we deal in. On the one hand, there is no ecosystem available in the country; on the other hand, there is a lack of adequate academic infrastructure. Our government needs to focus on these two factors to optimise time and money in the future. While opportunities in the Indian medical device segment are immense, to position a start-up firmly in the market, India needs to promote an encouraging environment for the domestic manufacturing of medical devices.
It is highly recommended that universities collaborate with industries to develop an efficient and trained skill pool. The government should chart out necessary incentives and supportive actions for manufacturers.
While urban India is reasonably developed as far as medical facilities go, vast tracts remain deficient. What are some suggestions from you about how to go about rectification?
Urban India is indeed developed in terms of healthcare delivery. However, 65% population lives in non-urban area and therefore, we have to go a long way as far as healthcare is concerned. There are specific policies made by some State Governments which necessitate at least one medical college for every district. It is a good initiative and will help many non-urban people who travel to cities for treatment now and then. However, there are many roadblocks to implementing this policy, such as the availability of the doctors, para-medical staff and infrastructure. Not only this, other facilities and their upkeep seem to be a far-fetched dream at present. Healthcare providers should be incentivised for rural postings, and medical education should be promoted/ supported by the government. Otherwise, we will fall short of professionals in the coming years. Healthcare providers are reluctant to work in rural areas due to the lack of basic facilities such as water, electricity, security and education for their children. In my opinion, their concerns are genuine. Central and state governments must make actionable policies around good healthcare services on all fronts. To accelerate the process, proper and sufficient allocation of funds in the health budget is highly recommended to ensure healthcare delivery to every citizen of India.
Any thoughts on the Government's role – any tips/ suggestions/viewpoints that may be shared?
In addition to what I mentioned earlier, there are some significant suggestions for the Indian government on the commercial front that we believe would improve the healthcare delivery in India and assist Indian manufacturers in the process.
1. First, they should raise import duties to provide a level playing field for the Indian manufacturers.
2. Public procurement should have strict guidelines for at least 65% of procurement from Indian manufacturers. It has been observed in most government tenders that certain products are being mentioned with their brand names rather than by their generic nomenclature. Generally, these brands are from multinational companies. In most of the tenders’ specifications, CE/US FDA approved products are required. These tender conditions should be abolished, and strict guidelines should be for all the States, Central and Quasi-government procurement agencies.
3. Current existing policies and regulatory norms make the process development in India unnecessarily slow and expensive. The landscape in India is still complex even while the government is trying to simplify the regulations and paperwork. There should be more straightforward regulatory reforms, fostering research and innovation, offering funding opportunities and facilitating testing and certification to scale manufacturing.
Apart from the above, there should be a Quality Management System, and every manufacturer must adhere to the QMS. By following QMS guidelines, Indian Medical Devices Manufacturers can generate decent sales in the domestic market. At the same time, it will develop good credibility and a reputation for Indian manufacturers amongst global players.
India is currently 90% dependent on imported endoscopic devices. We are the first Indian company to enter this device segment. Not only the first, but at par or even better in quality than the current MNC’S products. The response of healthcare providers towards the quality of our products has been very encouraging and they feel fully satisfied with getting a global quality from an Indian manufacturer for the first time.
Post Pandemic Business immunization Reconciliation/ Consolidation/ Backward or Forward Integration/diversification
With the healthcare sector experiencing unprecedented obstacles, including higher patient load and stricter standards, the pandemic drove an emphasis on clean and safe interiors. During the epidemic, hospital and clinic workers worked to maintain the material underfoot as sanitary as possible at all times. Now, not only will cleanability be emphasized, but flooring will also be used to create relaxing surroundings for patients and their careers.
While keeping rooms clean is still important, specifiers also desire lowmaintenance choices that can cut down on total labor time and keep costs down when budgets are tight. High-performance, lowmaintenance resilient flooring will help to make hospital environments cleaner and safer while also cutting operating costs and enhancing patient care quality. Patients and medical professionals can benefit from no-wax flooring and slipresistant features. Performance flooring must have more qualities and be more durable. Following the pandemic, the focus in healthcare settings will remain on contamination, infection control, and maintenance measures, potentially causing extra wear and tear on the floor. This necessitates high-performance flooring systems with enhanced performance and longevity.
Although there are still a variety of flooring options available, Vinyl flooring is still preferred in medical environments and hard surfaces are still preferred in medical environments. The epidemic has
affected the transition from hard surface flooring to VINYL flooring for its antibacterial and antifungal flooring. We believe that the epidemic made a huge impact on India's healthcare infrastructure and left us scrambling to figure out how "We" might better address healthcare.our ability to establish COVID Facilities and introduce COVID Flooring highlighted how much we wanted to do with national collaboration during difficult times, experiences that may be used to measure significant improvements in well-being and scale within an organization.
As a Healthcare Infrastructure professional, Give your insight on the latest technology for flooring and wall outside materials?
Commercial spaces rely on high-performance flooring due to high traffic impacts. The pandemic has led to even more considerations for commercial spaces, including flexible spaces in retail and other workspaces. This course looks at the ways in which the flooring industry is reassessing its performance and design standards for spaces in response to the pandemic, and how those changes could have a positive impact on the future of construction and renovation.
There are different types of flooring that go into different places in a healthcare facility. The first place your patients and their families will experience is the entrance to your hospital. Therefore, you will want to accommodate not only high foot traffic issues but rolling load traffic considerations as well. These entrance area corridors and public spaces will have the most traffic. These areas will need a high level of cleanability as well as durability.
The trend in hospital patient room flooring is to make the accommodations more home-like and less institutional which is said to help speed the healing process and reduce a patient’s stress during their stay. Since patient rooms don’t have the same requirements as other hospital areas, you will have additional options for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Electrostatic Conductive (tile and rolls) is a complete flooring solution designed to control static in most non-explosive manufacturing and working areas. The exclusive four-part system of tile, adhesive and copper grounding strips works together to eliminate electrostatic charges, protecting people and preventing damage to expensive equipment.
Let us know about the latest Innovation or product development in your organization?
Everyone has the capacity to be innovative and creative in their day-to-day work regardless of your job! Whether it’s a big revenue-earning campaign or a more efficient way to complete a task, sometimes all it takes is a spark to get the ideas flowing. Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.
We at indiana floors and more have put this in action with our newly launched product jeoflor - PVC flooring brand. Which brings to you a solution from floor to wall in healthcare infrastructure.
Our other new brand launched THERMOLOCK, which is an insulated interior - exterior facade plaster.
Thermolock interior and exterior insulation plasters are highstrength and high-diffusion plaster products produced with high-end technologies. It attracts attention with its longlasting structure and not easily deformed features.
It is a multi-purpose, single component insulation plaster produced in white color in A1 fireproof class, with high diffusion (breathing) feature, which provides insulation against heat, sound, water and fire thanks to the inorganic natural aggregates it contains and the high-level technology used on exterior facades.
We believe this product to be the solution for the future of green buildings.
Let us know your success story to inspire others?
I came to Bangalore city in 1987 for higher studies. After completing engineering in mechanical, I decided to stay in Bangalore for better career options. It was at this time that I met Ms.gayatri Nikkam who helped shape and mold me to work harder and focus on making a statement. Together is when we started a business, which gradually established its foot in the market. After 22 years of marriage, we still stand strong and continue to successfully run the Indiana International Corporation Flooring Pvt Ltd, one of the most prestigious companies in the country. The business, which was started in a small room, now has offices and warehousing facilities pan India and many other partnerships with other startups. We aspire to be as sufficient and promising in our work as we started with almost nothing to build an empire. “People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.” Just being true to yourself and others along with hard work, determination and a goal to fulfill can lead to a straight path to success.