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UNIDO PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT MEDICAL DISPOSABLES CULSTER IN GUJARAT

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has identified Gujarat as an important cluster location for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Industry. A number of support activities will be carried out by UNIDO for the development of these industries particularly the Medical Devices Industry in Gujarat.

As part of these progammes, a Seminar on "Quality Scenario and New Challenges to Medical Devices Industry of Gujarat" was jointly organised by Medical Disposable Manufacturers’ Association and UNIDO on April 20, 2000. It was also supported by BV Patel PERD Center, Ahmedabad.

The Seminar was inaugurated by Mr SP Adesara, Commissioner, Food & Drug Control Administration, Gujarat State, Mr RJ Shah, Chief Industrial Advisor, Government of Gujarat, gave special address.

It is remarkable to note that the small and medium scale medical products manufacturing units contribute approximately 60% of country’s requirements. Since the industry originated from small scale plastic medical products manufacturers about 25 years back, it lacked in infrastructure necessary for medical devices. However, with proper nursing and support from the Food & Drug Control Commissionerate’s office, particularly by technocrat Commissioner like Mr SP Adesara, many of the manufacturers have been able to update their facilities to meet national and international quality requirements. Mr SP Adesara emphasised need for more and more quality consciousness since the medical devices are as critical as pharmaceutical products and could endanger the life of patients.

The seminar was a great success and concluded by including the "Medical Devices Industry in the Diagnostic Study of the Industry" being undertaken jointly by UNIDO, Govt. of Gujarat, BV Patel PERD Center, etc. The suggestion was given by Mr RJ Shah, Chief Industrial Advisor, Govt. of Gujarat and was welcome by all the participating agencies and about 100 participants from more than 55 industrial units.

The objective of the diagnostic study is to locate the origin, to identify the value chain, access the current performance indices, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the industry, the possible mechanisms of jointly addressing such issues of common interest.

Casil Health Products Ltd, a group company of Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd, is planning to sign an exclusive marketing agreement with UK based Antec International in April 2000, according to the company’s President B Ramanna.

Speaking to newspersons Mr Ramanna said the proposed agreement would give his company exclusive marketing rights in India for Antec’s world wide patented product virkon. Virkon, which is a medical disinfectant, is currently marketed and used in 19 countries across the world.

Comparing the efficacy of Virkon with conventional disinfectants, Casil’s General Manager (Sales & Mktg.) JS Lastado said all currently used disinfectants had been available for decades and none was designed for infection control. As against this, Virkon was developed a few years back and was the only patented product available worldwide which was not a single chemical agent.