National Medical Devices Policy 2023: In a bid to promote domestic manufacturing, the Union Cabinet has approved the National Medical Devices Policy 2023. The policy will reduce the dependency on imports as it will help the sector grow. It is expected that the sunrise sector will grow to USD 50 billion in the next five years from the present USD 11 billion.
The policy has been made keeping in mind six strategies to tap the potential of the sector with the ‘implementation of action plan’.
Promoting domestic manufacturing is the need of the hour
Asserting that there has been a rising demand for medical devices in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that promoting domestic manufacturing is the need of the hour.
PM @NarendraModi Ji led Cabinet approves the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 🩺
In line with PM Modi Ji’s clarion call of ‘Make in India, Make For the World’, the policy will help in making 🇮🇳 a global leader in the manufacturing and innovation of medical devices. pic.twitter.com/ClyuvkwtR1
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) April 26, 2023
Briefing media after the Cabinet meeting, the Union minister said that the aim of the National Medical Devices Policy 2023 is to meet the maximum requirements from locally manufactured products. Mandaviya said that there would also be imports.
The medical devices sector is an integral part of the healthcare sector in India. The six strategies planned under the policy – Regulatory Streamlining, Enabling Infrastructure, Facilitating R&D and Innovation, Attracting Investments in the Sector, Human Resources Development and Brand Positioning and Awareness Creation. The medical devices sector of India becomes more important than ever as it recently supported the domestic as well as global demand during the coronavirus pandemic by producing in large-scale medical devices, diagnostics kits, N-95 mask, RT-PCR kits and rapid antigen test kits.
With this policy, the government is hopeful of putting the medical devices sector on an accelerated path of growth. The policy will have a patient-centric approach to meet the evolving healthcare needs of patients.
Cabinet approves the establishment of 157 nursing colleges
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet has also approved the establishment of 157 nursing colleges across the country. They will be set up at a cost of Rs 1,570 crore in co-location with the medical colleges set up in the country since 2014.
Vaccines Without Injection: Soon Get Vaccinated Via Skin Patches – Details | ALSO READ
Mandaviya said that the move would add around 15,700 new nursing graduate seats every year.