Wipro Healthcare arm partners for state health scheme

Wipro GE Healthcare tied up with two partners for developing a medical device and training community workers to support the government’s ambitious National Health Protection Scheme–Ayushman Bharat. The company is partnering with the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) to develop a 1.5T MRI system for meeting local demand. SAMEER is a research and development unit under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) which will design and develop the MRI platform. The two partners will collaborate to also develop artificial intelligence and machine learning based solutions for the MRI device. The development of the MRI device is part of Scan Era, a national mission of the DeitY, funded by the government under the Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative.

SAMEER has received USD 6.5 million (Rs 4.8 crore) in the first-round of funding to build the first prototype of the MRI scanner. Wipro GE Healthcare has also tied up with Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) to train workers and under-privileged youth across the country for the state-run flagship program. HSSC is a not-for-profit and non-statutory certifying body under the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, promoted by Confederation of Indian Industry, National Skills Development Corporation and healthcare leaders. As skilled resources will be critical to sustain the national healthcare scheme, about 500 workers and 3000 youth will be trained in 2019.