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Health ministry's first medical device testing lab project at Vadodara stalled due to delay in implementation
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
January 30 , 2018
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The Union health ministry's ambitious medical device testing lab project
at Vadodara in Gujarat which was supposed to be implemented last year
under the ASIDE scheme of the commerce ministry has been stalled due to
inordinate delay in its implementation.
Now the commerce ministry
has asked the Central Government Procurement agency HLL to send a fresh
proposal for again sanctioning India’s first medical device testing lab
at Vadodara.
The Union health ministry had appointed HLL for
procurement of equipment through a global tendering process under the
ASIDE scheme last year. The scheme, however, got closed and the money
was not disbursed on time as HLL could not procure equipment as per
stipulated timelines, according to a senior official associated with the
development.
Department of Commerce was administering
Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development of Exports (ASIDE)
Scheme since 2002-03, with the objective to involve the states in the
export by providing assistance to the state governments for creating
appropriate infrastructure for the development and growth of exports.
The outlay of the scheme had two components i.e. 80% of the funds (state
component) and 20% (central component).
Recommended and
promoted by the union commerce ministry, the country’s flagship project
was developed in partnership with union health ministry with technical
support from healthcare technology division of National Health Systems
Resource Centre (NHSRC), a technical support institution under the Union
health ministry.
The Gujarat Food and Drug Control
Administration (FDCA) and NHSRC had also jointly sent a report asking
HLL for the equipment and infrastructure required for the lab project
but could not get the desired response.
Gujarat government also
followed with the union health ministry to accelerate the process of
setting up the much awaited medical device testing lab at Vadodara in
Gujarat, MoU for which was signed between the Government of India and
Gujarat Government last year.
Ministry of Commerce had sanctioned
an amount of Rs.15 crore for the flagship project for which the site at
drug testing lab at Vadodara was also approved based on an audit.
Gujarat FDCA in the past had also sent a proposal to HLL for urgent
procurement of testing equipment towards setting up the testing lab.
Setting
up of a dedicated medical device testing lab in the country would be a
boon for the Indian manufacturers to help adhere to compliance towards
patient safety as the country today lacks in registering and thereby
reporting adverse events due to faulty medical devices at the point of
care.
Proposal for setting up a testing lab was suggested at an
Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) Meet at Ahmedabad 2 years
ago which realised the need for setting up a dedicated medical device
testing lab. Till date, products are usually sent to foreign countries
for testing due to lack of a reliable and advanced medical device
testing facility in the country.
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