India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre (ISHIC), a collaboration between the Swedish Trade Commissioner’s Office, AIIMS Delhi and AIIMS Jodhpur, yesterday announced the winners of the second edition of “Innovation challenge” at a hybrid event held at the India Pavilion during the ongoing Health and Wellness Week at EXPO2020 Dubai.
The innovation challenge included a rigorous evaluation process by a panel of experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Business Sweden, NASSCOM, AstraZeneca and other partners. The committee had shortlisted 10 compelling solutions, including Acorai, AiNDRA, BrainSightAI, EzeRx, Genitico, Neurofy, relink (Tada Medical), TeraLumen and innovative ideas from Dr Pradeep Bhatia and Dr Naveen Dutt.
The winning startups will now work with the India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre platform for a sustainable and faster scale-up by providing them access to cross-country mentorship, guidance on funding, and ability to ideate with the like-minded innovator, access to state-of-the-art incubation centre located within AIIMS Jodhpur campus, their lab facilities and beyond. In addition, onboarded startups can also avail the incubation facility at NASSCOM, Bengaluru.
The awards were conferred by Dr Balram Bhargav, DG, ICMR, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in the presence of other dignitaries.
ISHIC also virtually inaugurated an Incubation Centre and a Centre of Excellence in Comprehensive Cancer Patient Support Service at AIIMS Jodhpur, India. Through this Incubation Centre, the startups could avail themselves of the physical co-working space, get a real-time experience of the patient environment, and validate their products and solutions once the required clearances are established.
At the virtual launch of the Oncology Centre of Excellence at AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr Vinod K Paul, Member NITI Aayog, said, “Technologies like telemedicine or remote healthcare existed decades ago but were implemented extensively during the COVID-19 to keep our clinicians safe. We are at a stage where healthcare is going through transformations. Going ahead, healthcare will witness and utilize a lot more of hyperlocal technologies driving the industry”.
Dr Paul suggested, “we need to weave in programmatic innovations so as to include all care delivery partners including Health & Wellness Centre (India’s comprehensive primary care centres) and home-based palliative care for a more holistic care delivery for chronic patients.”
Addressing the audience virtually at the launch of India- Sweden Incubation Centre at AIIMS Jodhpur, Mr Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said, “Healthcare and life sciences have remained important area of collaboration between India and Sweden. As the situation rapidly evolves in view of the global pandemic, it becomes essential to identify the areas where we could work together with the aim of ensuring affordable, accessible and outcome-based health care.”
Mr Bhushan added, “This partnership between India and Sweden will be further strengthened in the coming days and would focus on those emerging and cutting-edge areas of delivery of health care, which would be beneficial not only for both countries but also for the world.”
Prof. (Dr) Balram Bhargava, Secretary DHR & Director General, ICMR, Government of India, during the award ceremony, said, “Innovation is important in healthcare not only for India and Sweden but for the entire globe, and the key pillars of affordability and accessibility remain very important. The innovations in the healthcare sector will ultimately make life much simpler not only for the patients but for the caregivers too.”
Ms Jenni Nordberg, National Coordinator for Life Sciences, Head of the Office for Life Sciences, Government of Sweden, added, “In the era of precision medicine, oncology treatment is really leading the way especially, when it comes to early detection, diagnostics, treatment, and also most importantly, prevention all through the sector.”
Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General of India at EXPO2020, delivered the opening remarks. Ms Peggy Vidot, Minister of Health, Republic of Seychelles, was also present during the event.
Key dignitaries, who were also present during the event include Mr Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary (IH), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI (virtual), Mr Niclas Jacobson, Deputy DG, Ministry of Health & Social Affairs, Government of Sweden, Ms Cecilia Oskarsson, Swedish Trade Commissioner to India & Business Sweden India, Dr Alka Sharma, Sr. Advisor, DBT & MD, BIRAC (virtual), Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS Delhi, Dr Sanjeev Misra, Director, AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr YK Gupta, President, AIIMS Bhopal and Jammu, Dr Kuldeep Singh, Dean-Academics, AIIMS Jodhpur (virtual), Mr Gagandeep Singh, Managing Director, AstraZeneca, India, Mr Veneeth Purushotaman – Group Chief Information Officer, Aster DM Healthcare, Ms Ebba Fåhraeus, CEO, Smile incubator and Mr Ryan Bate, Scientific Partnering & Alliances Director, AstraZeneca.
