The division of Healthcare technology at National Health Systems Resource Centre was established to support Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Policies, strategies, and action plans for health technologies, specifically for medical devices under the National Health Mission. This division has been recognized as a “WHO Collaborating Centre for Priority Medical Devices and Health Technology Policy” The division also supports Department of Pharmaceutical, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Bureau of Indian Standards etc. on proposal related to medical devices.
Under National Health Mission, the division contributes in the following areas:
- Technical specification of medical devices for Indian public health facilities: These specifications have been developed to ease technicalities in the procurement of medical devices and maintain a minimum standard on equipment purchased for public facilities across the country.
- Biomedical Equipment Management and Maintenance Program: Comprehensive program designed to maintain the equipment based on the upkeep time of individual equipment through 24*7 call centre, from the level of Primary Health Centre up to district hospital.
- Free Diagnostic Service Initiative: The initiative envisage to ensure essential list of tests free of cost to all beneficiaries from the level of Sub-centre up to District hospital.
- Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program: Strengthening of district hospital has always been a key priority under NHM. The guideline ensures provision of free of cost dialysis services to BPL beneficiaries.
- National Health Innovation Portal: To identify and propagate innovative practices and products received on portal, the division executes the rapid assessment of all innovations (products) and submit the report to assessment committee. The recommended innovative products are being further presented in National Summit on Good & Replicable Practices & Innovations in Public Health Care System for uptake in public health systems.
- Health technology assessment : Health technology assessment (HTA) refers to the systematic evaluation of properties, effects, and/or impacts of health technology. The division undertakes all product assessment requested from MOHFW.
- Atomic energy regulatory board (AERB) compliance program identifies public health facilities non-compliance with AERB norms in public health facilities, NHM initiated an activity (in 2018) that enable facilities to attain radiation safety compliance in all facilities housing ionizing radiation based diagnosis services.