NHSRC To Be WHO Collaborating Centre For Medical Devices

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has announced the re-designation of the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Priority Medical Devices and Health Technology Policy.

“The mandate of the Division of Healthcare Technology at NHSRC is to draw up technical specifications for technologies procured under the National Health Mission, draft policies for medical device maintenance and management, undertake evaluations of health product innovations, conduct Health Technology Assessments (HTA), and support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on issues related to diagnostics initiative, National Dialysis Programme and other technology intensive services,” says a release by the Health Department on Thursday.

In the past, NHSRC as a collaborating centre has supported WHO in formulating technical specifications for medical devices such as oxygen concentrators and resuscitation devices and continues to support evaluation of innovations for WHO’s compendium on innovative devices.

Guidance document

This year, in collaboration with WHO country office, NHSRC developed a guidance document for the Ministry’s free diagnostics initiative to further strengthen the agenda of universal access to affordable diagnostics.

“NHSRC also works with WHO on development of technical specification of blood pressure measuring devices, In vitro diagnostics and devices for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Future collaboration includes work on International Classification and Nomenclature for Medical Devices, which would improve access to affordable health technologies,” noted the release.

It added that such global collaborations in the area of health technology will ensure that scientific and technological advances, research and development as well as innovative technologies play a substantial supportive role in healthcare and enable to reach the public health goals and achieve universal health coverage. – The Hindu