Unmasking the Current Scenario of Indian Biomedical Devices Industry: Ventilators being the Heart of the Discussion

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe Indian Biomedical Device Industry has been growing at an unprecedented rate, but several hindrances need to be acknowledged in offering access to quality, budget-friendly medical devices in India. This article explores the current loopholes of the Indian biomedical device industry along with the proposal of various innovative solutions, with emphasis on ventilators.MethodsAn online survey with the help of Google forms was conducted from 1st November to 25th December 2020, addressing the problems of the Indian medical device industry (MDI) along with probable solutions. The survey also provides a glimpse into the complications aroused from the frequent use of ventilators during COVID-19 outburst, along with possible measures.ResultsAccording to the survey, 51.6%, 46.5%, 55.7%, and 47.5% of respondents have agreed to ‘Stringent laws and implementation,’ ‘Safety testing and strict regulations,’ ‘Unfavorable duty structure,’ and ‘Reducing tax rate on domestic manufacturers,’ as a possible solution to advance the implementation of ISO 13485 and ISO 10651, implementation of ISO 14971, the probable cause of limitations of Indian MDI, possible measure to overcome limitations of Indian MDI, respectively. 46.7%, 47.5%, 46.2%, and 44.6% of respondents have agreed to ‘Surgical decompression,’ ‘Nebulized and broad-spectrum antibiotics,’ ‘PEEP,’ and ‘Adopting lung protective ventilation strategies’ as possible solutions to treat various ventilator complications, respectively.ConclusionThe study briefs about the people’s perception of the Indian MDI as well as on the ventilator complications. The results complied with our hypothesis as the majority of the respondents have agreed with almost all the probable solutions in both the sections given by us as options.