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ICEHTMC Headed for India: ‘An Opportunity That Should Not Be Missed’
Authors:
  • Brian Stallard

Game-changing insights and innovation for healthcare technology management (HTM) is not just a stateside endeavor. The biannual International Clinical Engineering & Health Technology Management Congress (ICEHTMC) is scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam, India, November 10-13. In anticipation of the event, AAMI’s President and CEO Pamela Arora spoke with ICEHTMC organizers to learn what it is all about.

Earlier this year, Arora visited Florence, Italy, for the Italian Association of Clinical Engineers (AIIC) National Conference. And while the event was flush with local health technology professionals and regulators alike, it also served as a prime meeting ground for the international HTM and clinical engineering communities. Among them were leadership from the Global Clinical Engineering Alliance (GCEA), which AIIC recently joined.

“The Italian association selected to become a member of GCEA because they feel the time is right for Italy to embrace the rest of the world and help other countries to be as productive as they are in our field,” explained Yadin David, the GCEA’s founding member and interim president.

He praised Italy’s HTM, clinical engineering, and IT professionals on recognizing a need to work together to address healthcare system cybersecurity concerns. Read more about that on AAMI ARRAY!

David also joined GCEA colleague Tom Judd and Arora to talk about the 5th ICEHTMC, which is a bi-annual event run by the Alliance. The Congress is being organized in partnership with the IFMBE Clinical Engineering Division, with hosting by India's Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, and logistical support and program content contributions from AAMI.

David shared that he suspects many of the subjects covered during the AIIC conference—ranging from cybersecurity to medical device interoperability—will resurface during the upcoming international congress.

“Every two years we move to a different continent,” he said. “This year, November 10 to 13, we’re going to be in India… looking at the total lifecycle plan [of medical devices].”

David and Judd described how the congress will be broken up into sections—each representing a different aspect of that device lifecycle. This includes a center for innovation, a showcase on the manufacturing of medical devices, and even a collaboration center for professionals to share insights and forge connections.

“We see India evolving,” Judd added. “Today, the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone has about 20 different hubs where they bring manufacturers together to make medical devices for India. [Learning from COVID] they’re ready to meet medical device shortages and emergency needs… It’s a great host. It’s a great place. It’s something to look forward to!”

As if that wasn’t enough, David noted that, as the ICEHTMC wraps up, the World Health Organization’s Innovation Forum will be meeting at the same location, November 14 to 16, to discuss how innovators and regulators may better collaborate to accelerate the development of safe, life-saving devices. It is organized and hosted by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Innovation – Kalam Institute of Health Technology, in Vizag, India, in collaboration with The Innovation Hub of the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, representatives from more than 80 ministries of health have been invited to come early and explore the ICEHTMC expo hall floor.

“They will come to see the products of interest to you and have more time to interact with this community overall,” said David. “It’s an opportunity that should not be missed.”

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