Why MRIs at AIIMS Delhi are about to become cheaper
What's the story
India's first-ever locally-made Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner will be installed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, by October.
The move will make MRI scans significantly cheaper, reduce reliance on imported machines, and make them more accessible to the public.
AIIMS Delhi and the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the same.
SAMEER is an autonomous research body under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Director's statement
AIIMS Delhi director emphasizes importance of indigenous scanner
Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, emphasized the importance of this indigenous MRI machine in curbing dependence on foreign devices.
He said that most of the equipment used in critical and post-operative care, ICUs, robotics, and MRIs in India are imported.
"The development of this indigenous MRI machine is a major step toward becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat to reduce dependence on foreign imported devices," he added.
Validation concerns
SAMEER's director general highlights lack of validation mechanism
PH Rao, the Director General of SAMEER, noted that there is no mechanism to check the norms and validate MRI scanners in India, as they are not manufactured here.
The Union Health Ministry is drafting norms for validating MRI scanners to give clearance for their use on patients even during trials.
Rao said they are awaiting approval to commence clinical and human trials.
Economic impact
Cost reduction expected once scanner is validated
Once the indigenous MRI scanner is validated for use in healthcare facilities, MRI scan costs are expected to be halved, making diagnostics affordable to a larger population.
Professor Rama Jayasundar, head of the Department of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at AIIMS Delhi, confirmed this expectation.
She noted that this initiative will significantly lower the cost of MRI scanning and dependence on imported machines.
Project details
SAMEER has developed MRI scanner and linear accelerator
The MeitY has spearheaded the development of two critical healthcare technologies - the 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, and a 6 MEV Linear Accelerator via SAMEER as the developing agency.
The MRI scanner is a non-invasive medical imaging test to visualize soft tissues, while the Linear Accelerator is utilized for cancer treatment using high-energy X-rays or electrons.
Both projects have been financially supported by MeitY to help India move toward import substitution.