Japanese delegation visits AIIMS Delhi to collaborate on National Centre for Medical Device Development, Validation and Skill Training

New Delhi [India], August 27 (ANI): A delegation from Osaka University, Japan, accompanied by officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to discuss the establishment of a National Centre for Medical Device Development, Validation and Skill Training at AIIMS, a statement by AIIMS said.

The visit was marked by a high-level meeting chaired by M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, at the Ramalingaswami Boardroom. The focus of the meeting was an ambitious project in line with India’s “Make in India” initiative for medical devices, AIIMS stated.

According to a statement, this visit is a continuation of the collaborative efforts initiated nearly a decade ago following the joint statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the late Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, during their summit in Tokyo on September 1, 2014. As a result of that summit, AIIMS and Osaka University signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 13, 2014, aimed at the development of novel and affordable surgical instruments, marking the first such R&D collaboration between medical institutions in India and Japan, the statement said.

Leading the Japanese delegation was Kiyokazu Nakajima, Professor in the Department of Next Generation Endoscopic Intervention at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. The discussions revolved around the technical aspects and proposals for creating a state-of-the-art, publicly-funded research centre for medical device development, validation and skill training. The delegation also visited the proposed site for the centre at AIIMS Delhi’s Jhajjar campus, the statement said.

This visit builds on the foundation laid by earlier collaborative efforts, including the onsite training of delegations from AIIMS to Japan, where they visited prominent facilities such as the Fukushima Medical Device Development Support Centre at Fukushima, Medical Device Development Centre (MEDDEC) at Kobe and medical device manufacturing company CASTEM Co. Limited at Hiroshima. Additionally, they had meetings with Overseas Medical Equipment Technical Assistants (OMETA) at Tokyo to understand and learn the self-sustainability of the proposed centre in India. The AIIMS delegations, led by Hemanga K Bhattacharjee, Professor of Surgical Disciplines at AIIMS New Delhi, along with specialists from other departments, scientists and technical officers from AIIMS gained valuable insights into cutting-edge technological research and hands-on experience on prototype conceptualisation, computer assisted designing, 3D printing for rapid prototype and subsequent manufacturing experience, which will be crucial in the establishment of the proposed centre in India, per the statement.

This innovative project aims to reduce India’s reliance on imported medical devices, which currently stands at over 70%. The centre is expected to provide a platform for Indian surgeons, physicians, and engineers to conceptualize, design, develop, and test medical device prototypes. Japan’s support, particularly in technology and knowledge transfer, will be instrumental in establishing this first-of-its-kind facility, which promises to make high-quality, affordable medical devices accessible to the Indian population and promote an ecosystem for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector which is in line with the “Make in India” policy of the Government of India, the statement said.