Company targeting 100 innovations that will extend the benefits of healthcare across the country
Bangkok, Thailand, November 19, 2010 -- GE in Thailand today held 'GE Healthymagination Day', an event which presents the company's healthymagination concept to its stakeholders with the aim of addressing the most pressing challenges in healthcare currently - cost, quality and access - and helping people live healthier lives. The event showcased the latest technologies from GE's Healthcare business, which are aimed at encouraging public-private partnerships in enabling healthcare to become more affordable and accessible.
Commenting on the event, Mr David Utama, President and CEO of GE Healthcare ASEAN, said, "We at GE have broadened our approach to healthcare, and with the healthymagination strategy, GE will change the way products are developed. We target technology towards lower-cost outcomes to reduce the impact of technology on costs and we will also accelerate the introduction of healthcare IT."
There are different needs for healthcare for the developing world and the developed world. The developing world needs substantial investment to build new healthcare systems while the developed world requires the maintenance of high standards whilst reducing healthcare costs. GE's healthymagination is focused on the differing goals within different markets across the developed and developing world.
"GE Thailand first launched its healthymagination initiative in 2009," said Mr. Stuart Dean, President and CEO of GE ASEAN. "Since then we have been working with customers and regulators to optimize available technologies to ensure they are suitable to the Thai healthcare industry."
GE's advanced technology will support the country's Tourism and Sports ministry's plans to elevate the nation's medical services in combination with the richness of tourist attractions to place Thailand as the 'Medical Tourism Hub' in Asia and in the global market. At the same time, GE's healthymagination products provide more affordable and accessible healthcare, which can provide benefits to those in rural areas. This is particularly important during times of natural disasters, such as the recent flooding which makes access to healthcare service and facilities very difficult.
One of the standout products showcased at 'GE Healthymagination Day' was Vscan. Vscan is a pocket-sized visualization tool with ultrasound technologies, with the potential to help redefine the physical examination and improve patient care by enabling medical professional to make quick and accurate diagnoses. The breakthrough technology is part of GE Healthcare's $6 billion healthymagination initiative to improve cost, quality and access in healthcare, and another example of the company's commitment to investing in innovative bioscience technologies.
"Being lightweight and mobile, Vscan is profoundly useful for disaster scenarios such as in the floods that hit the country recently. It can be brought to these areas to provide immediate visual validation and ascertain, for example, potential puncture, internal bleeding, and the presence of pericardial effusion and gallstones," explained Mr Utama
Along with Ecomagination, healthymagination is the second growth pillar for taking on tough global challenges. GE is addressing the need for sustainable health, worldwide, as well as the need for cleaner energy and better healthcare, and is committed to introducing 100 innovations that will improve cost, access and quality by up to 15 percent. In the long-term, this will enable more people to enjoy greater access to quality healthcare at lower-cost procedures; while those in rural, poorer areas will have access to healthcare in a way they have never had before.
In Thailand, where GE has been present since early 1900, its Healthcare business works closely with public, private and academic hospitals to provide leading-edge technologies such as CTs and MRIs.
For more details about healthymagination, visit www.healthymagination.com/news.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. GE is Imagination at Work. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.ge.com.
About GE in Thailand
As one of Thailand's largest foreign investors, GE employs over 300 Thai professionals, who provide a wide range of products and services that directly impact on the daily activities and quality of life of our Thai customers. As a partner of choice for Thai customers, GE is committed to helping solve Thailand's toughest challenges in energy, water, Oil & Gas, healthcare, access to finance, and infrastructure. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.ge.com/th/.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
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