GE Healthcare Brings Together Healthcare Stakeholders at Healthymagination Conference
and Sponsors White Paper on Indonesia Healthcare
Jakarta, September 29, 2010 --- GE Healthcare announced today the release of a white paper - "Old problems, fresh solutions: Indonesia's new health regime"written by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The whitepaper was released at a healthymagination Conference GE organized today, titled "Healthymagination Indonesia. Delivering Quality Healthcare for Every Citizen", where 150 local senior healthcare stakeholders gathered to engage in a dialogue and discussed the challenges and possible solutions surrounding the Indonesian healthcare system. This event was co-hosted by the Office of the Special Envoy to the President of Indonesia on Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
The independently developed report takes an in-depth look into the major challenges plaguing the Indonesian healthcare system and the potential solutions.
Despite the fact that the country's healthcare system today is not run effectively in comparison with its South-east Asian peers, Indonesia is on the brink of a major improvement, thanks to the government's commitment to universal healthcare. The government has pledged to raise its spending on health sharply in the years ahead. However, the success of its programs depends on finding solutions to many difficult issues, including pervasive inequality between urban and rural regions, and the right balance of public and private involvement and funding.
The keynote speech was delivered by Dr Nila D.A. Moeloek, the Special Envoy to the President of Indonesia on Millennium Development Goals, and Jeffrey Immelt, GE's hairman & CEO. These were followed with video addresses by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Grameen Bank founder; and Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, philanthropist and cardiac surgeon. Within the event was a mini conference ran by the EIU, with luminary panelists from the public and private sector, as well as academia.
"One of the crucial elements to solving these issues is innovation to reduce the cost of healthcare technology and expand its reach," said GE Healthcare ASEAN President and CEO David Utama, commenting on the white paper. Once commonly thought as the preserve of the rich, technologically advanced nations, groundbreaking innovations are increasingly coming from developing countries facing similar challenges to those Indonesia must address. Often that means redesigning complex machinery such as electro-cardiograms and making them not only simpler to operate, but also radically cutting the cost of manufacturing.
"In GE, reverse innovation has given India the MAC400 and MAC800, allowing rural India accessibility to electro-cardiograms designed to operate in their environment with limited resources," explained Mr Utama. "Healthymagination, GE's strategy to create better health for more people around the world, is reflected in this strategy. Hopefully the
whitepaper will start us thinking of our own Indonesian MAC400".
"I am optimistic that the government development plans will work well in achieving MDG's targets," commented Dr Nila Moeloek, Presidents' Special Envoy to the Millennium Development Goals. "However, the private sector's role in achieving the goals is very important to provide innovation and to reduce the cost of Healthcare."
Healthymagination is a global initiative GE launched in May 2009, built on the global commitments of reducing costs, improving quality and expanding access to healthcare for millions of people. In Indonesia, where GE has been present since 1940, its Healthcare business is a strong contributor to the total company's US$434 million revenues for 2009. GE Healthcare's customers in Indonesia include private and public healthcare facilities, as well as teaching hospitals. The report is available in hard copy and PDF format, with a downloadable version accessible at the company website:
http://files.gecompany.com/healthymagination/pdfs/GE_Indonesia_Sep21.pdf
Notes:
1. About the Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is the business information arm of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist. Through its global network of more than 650 analysts and contributors, it continuously assess and forecast political, economic and business conditions in more than 200 countries. For more information, please visit www.eiu.com
2. Indonesia's health inputs and outcomes: total healthcare spending is still below 3% of GDP, compared to the 4%-plus in many comparable economies. The number of maternal deaths Indonesia suffers is roughly twice that of its Asian counterparts.
3. Millennium Development Goals are basic development targets with health, education and environmental issues as the pillars; with over 190 countries as signatories committed to the attainment of MDG targets by 2015.
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 around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are 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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