Medical R&D a lost cause

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Medical R&D a lost cause

Saturday, 22 February 2020 | KM Cherian

Medical research should be one area where we have the potential to lead India towards the beginning of an era of bio-economy by 2030

Research and Development (R&D) contribute to strengthening the economy of a country in terms of growth and revenue. While R&D is primal, it is also essential that the Government pays attention to sustain the same in every industry and particularly healthcare, which is one of the fastest growing sectors. At present, the healthcare industry has a long way to go when it comes to research and technological progress. There is a dire need for R&D in basic medical sciences so that indigenous technology gets a chance to grow. This is only possible, when there is support from the Central Government in the form of policies and capital. The availability of good infrastructure, too, is imperative to create a conducive environment for R&D. Thankfully, several areas have been identified by the Centre to keep up the tempo on infrastructure development. It is well-known that several large organs are received from human donors only and the wide disparity in the supply and demand ratio has resulted in many fatalities. Today, the stage is evolving into a time where solid organs could be manufactured using a person’s own cells and a biological scaffold, like a shark fin, on which it could be grown. This will soon be available off the shelf. Shark skin is another potential tissue substrate to create biological tissue heart valves in view of its inherent tensile strength and durability. Unfortunately, due to ignorance on the part of regulatory bodies and other law enforcing agencies, even the licence for producing them has been poorly formulated and prioritised.

Another important area is in the realm of stem cell research with its tremendous regenerative potential, but we face many hurdles in their commercial production despite having the knowledge, technology and facilities. According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, the Indian medical industry fares poorly on multiple critical parameters, including the quality of care, ill-equipped facilities, lack of healthcare professionals, paucity of funds and professional qualifications of doctors, making the entire sector a debatable part of the Indian economy. Therefore it is important that provisions be made in the Union Budget to address this issue by providing funds for skill acquisition and establishment of educational institutions. It is quite overwhelming to see that in our country, where growth is a priority, change is a very slow and ignored process and our healthcare sector has been ailing for several decades now. But, as the country recompenses a claim at the geopolitical high table under a nationalist Government, its human development motives are increasingly pushed toward severe scrutiny. Also in this day and age, affordable healthcare for all should be one of the top priorities of the Government.

Growth in India’s younger working population is also posing challenges we have not seen before. High stress levels, unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle, increased intake of processed foods, increased tobacco and alcohol use and so on, are giving rise to co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia/obesity and other lifestyle diseases, which in turn have accelerated the growth of Coronary Artery Disease with a high incidence of premature deaths. The major challenges being faced in cardiac care are low availability of quality treatment, specialists, preventive and curative cardiac care facilities and due to this, the future of cardiac care should be given a holistic outlook. In addition, majority of the hospitals with cardiac facilities are located in urban areas while the rest of the country is faced with little to no access to quality care.

Today, technological disruptions are transforming healthcare delivery worldwide. The role of medical technology, emergence of Information and Communications Technology, expanding network of the internet and social media play a major role in transforming healthcare delivery. Digital medicine is the future as devices get interconnected. In a large country like ours teamwork is crucial when it comes to delivering quality healthcare. The current taxation policies and regulations do not address issues regarding diagnostic tests and home healthcare, which should definitely be considered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, as well. In our nation, healthcare has always been expanding and the need to increase expenditure proportionally has to be addressed.

India imports more than 75 per cent of its medical devices and patented drugs, thus making healthcare unaffordable to the masses. While we are big on generic drugs, new molecule development and patenting is lacklustre. Moreover, medical equipment should be exempted from taxes so that healthcare is more affordable. The necessity to forge new advances in cardiac healthcare and bio-medical engineering are being slowly extinguished not by time but by a Government that is apathetic to the possibility that millions could have access to better healthcare and this, in turn, could stimulate and pioneer cutting-edge research. India should make optimum use of the new Budget which will create an opportunity for opening and supporting the first Medical SEZ. Time and again, India has taken the lead in pioneering developments. Medical research should be one area where we have the potential to lead the country towards the beginning of an era of bio-economy by 2030.

(The writer is a Padma Sri awardee and cardiothoracic surgeon credited with India’s first bypass. He is Chairman and CEO of Frontier Lifeline Hospital)

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