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| Sri Lanka Chamber of Medical Devices Board |
In the
constantly-changing and advancing field of medicine, it is essential to keep
abreast of developments and equip hospitals with the latest technology. Key amongst these is access to modern medical
diagnostic devices and therapeutic equipment.
In order to successfully provide superior solutions to patients,
importers and manufacturers must work together with medical professionals,
regulatory bodies, policy makers, Customs officials, the Ministry of Health and
related organizations. With the aim of
facilitating such discussions and collaborations in mind, the Sri Lanka Chamber
of Medical Devices was launched in late October 2013.
As the
first initiative of its kind in Sri Lanka, Mr. Weyhenage Sarath Premakumar,
President of the Association announced the intention of the Association, “to
move the Medical Equipment Industry of Sri Lanka forward to be on a par with,
or even surpass, other countries in the region and pool resources to build a healthcare
system in which the Nation can confidently place their faith.”
With
the trend towards an aging population and the increase in non-communicable
diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, the need for better
diagnostic equipment and advanced treatments is quite clear. Currently, in Sri Lanka’s total healthcare
expenditure, a quarter of this expenditure is directed towards equipment and
supplies. Therefore it is necessary to have a clear plan for the purchase of
medical devices. It is important that all involved are able to share their
views with the relevant authorities to reach an amenable balance of expenditure
and healthcare outcome.
Additionally,
improvement of existing treatments and diagnostic equipment will encourage
patients to avail themselves of local facilities, rather than head abroad for
their medical needs. As the increased
migration of medical professionals in search of better training and exposure to
novel medical methods becomes apparent, the better equipping of hospitals would
encourage home-grown talent to remain in the country and add to the
improvements in healthcare.
The
Association also aims to encourage and facilitate manufacturing opportunities
in Sri Lanka. This would be advantageous
to the economy, as well as reduce the cost of medical devices which would
channel through to healthcare costs.
Laying the foundation for this important future prospect in co-operation
with the government will be a main focus of the Association.
The
Association encourages interested parties to contact them via email on Premakumar@cic.lk and
sayandhan@delmege.com for further information.
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