Flags off India-wide Mission on Wheels to spread Awareness on quality healthcare through Affordable and Accessible Innovations.
New Delhi, October 20, 2013: GE Healthcare, the US$18 billion healthcare business of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) today launched, a first of its kind, healthcare technology experiential lounge on wheels -- "Mission Healthier India". This specially designed healthcare vehicle from GE was flagged off by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, His Excellency, and Former President of India in the presence of senior leadership from GE comprising Banmali Agrawala, President and CEO, GE South Asia; Tom Gentile, President and CEO, GE Healthcare Systems and Terri Bresenham, President and CEO, GE Healthcare South Asia.
Flagging off this healthcare initiative Technology Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, His Excellency, Former President of India said "Technology is a key enabler for better healthcare. If technology is not affordable it will not be accessible for the neediest people. The most important aspect is teams working in Healthcare - both research and clinical areas have to have an attitude with a mission "What Can I give". This attitude of "What can I give" will lead to "Let my brain remove the pain" and bring smiles to suffering people. I am happy to see team GE having this attitude and innovating technology solutions to make healthcare accessible and affordable."
The "Mission Healthier India" is an experiential and educational lounge with 20 low cost GE innovations on board. The Lounge will provide clinicians a hands-on experience on these advanced technologies catering to women, mother & infant care, cardiac diseases and critical care. With 6 new experiential vehicles, GE Healthcare hopes to reach 200,000 clinicians around the country, especially smaller towns and villages. The mother and infant care technologies include ultrasound imaging systems for diagnosing health of baby and expectant mother, infant care technologies like Embrace for providing mother's womb like warmth, Lullaby LED Phototherapy system for treating neonatal jaundice, MAC series of portable, battery operated ECG systems for early detection of cardiac diseases and Critical care tools required for monitoring and supporting critically ill patients, reducing infections in ICUs etc.
Speaking about the initiative, Banmali Agrawala, President of GE India said "Over 70% of Indians live in smaller towns and rural areas with limited access to quality medical infrastructure, including skilled manpower and technologies. GE is here to create a positive impact on the lives of every individual through its path breaking innovations. We have some of the best people working with us in India who are engaged in developing solutions that make quality and affordable healthcare accessible to all. "
GE's innovation centre in India is the largest for GE in the world with 6000 engineers and scientists. Over 1600 of these scientists and engineers are dedicated for healthcare innovations and have developed over 125 innovations for the world with 25 affordable solutions for improving access in India and the emerging countries. GE targets to develop 100 low cost solutions in India to address India's and world's healthcare challenges in the area of cancer, cardiac diseases and maternal/infant care.
Terri Bresenham, President & CEO of GE Healthcare South Asia said "Mission Healthier India" is our endeavour to showcase technologies that bring quality healthcare closer to the people of India. Our technologies and solutions created in India for India, have proved to dispel the notion of quality healthcare only comes with a steep price. This initiative is an instrumental platform to reach out to healthcare providers who have taken on the responsibility of elevating the standards of patient care in the smaller cities and villages of India. GE targets to develop 100 low cost solutions in India to address India's and world's healthcare challenges in the area of cancer, cardiac diseases and maternal/infant care."
Earlier, a pilot was run by GE touching 3000 physicians/clinics across 50 small towns in the State of Tamil Nadu. The program not only successfully provided education and experience to a large number of physicians and allied healthcare professionals, it also revealed some stark realities such as low awareness on the availability of affordable technologies; education and training on such technologies; lack of availability and use of technologies. This van will attempt at addressing this gap while educating the healthcare professionals.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.
GE Healthcare is at work for a healthier India. We are focusing on some of the toughest healthcare challenges of India -- lowering maternal and infant deaths; enable early detection of cancer for early treatment, addressing heart disease the burden etc. We design, develop and manufacture technologies in India for India and the world that will enhance access to quality healthcare at affordable costs to more people. For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com.
GE's Presence in India
Present in India since 1902, GE works to innovate, partner and develop technology solutions in energy, healthcare, infrastructure and financial services that improve the quality of life in the country. With about 15,000 employees, GE's imagination is taking the nation to the future with ideas designed and developed in India - for India and for the rest of the world.
With around 6000 engineers, GE's research centers in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai are developing new technologies for both India and the world while the 13 local manufacturing and service facilities bring products, services and technologies closer to the customers. GE in India has partnered with a number of Indian companies to develop localized solutions, meeting the needs of the country. Committed to social development across the world, GE in India is closely engaged with local communities on social and environmental issues.
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Manoj Menon
GE Healthcare South Asia
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+91 984 5199852