Growing Trend of online docs

With more and more people logging onto the Internet, patients are consulting the doctor without ever going to the doctor's office. On The Saturday Early Show, the "Living Better Longer" series concludes with a look at the growing trend of virtual doctor visits. Michael Good, a family practitioner in Middletown, Conn., describes how technology has changed the way he deals with his patients. The following is our interview: Q: How does an online consultation work? Dr. Good: A patient who wants to ask a question or request something goes to his physician group's Web site. Ours is prohealthmd.com, and clicks on "connect with your doctor." They then log onto the online office using a logon name and password. Once inside the online office, the patient gets menu options for services, such as a med refill or test results. The patient picks one choice and answers a few questions about the issue. For medical problems, the patient picks a main symptom, such as back pain, and the system then asks them a series of questions. Q: How often do you check to see if a patient has emailed you? Dr. Good: We check our online messages three times a day, at 7:00 a.m., noon and 3:00 p.m. and pull the patients' charts to review before sending any answer. Once we have answered the question, the system sends the patient an email telling them that there is an answer waiting for them at the online office. They then go there and check what the doctor had to say. Q: Is there a charge for your online services? Dr. Good: Many of the functions, such as refilling prescriptions, asking for lab results, making appointments or requesting referrals are free. Patients who want to ask for professional advice pay a fee of $5 for a simple question (what can I take for my cold while I'm breastfeeding my baby) or $30 for diagnosing a new problem through a Web visit. Two insurance companies have started to pay for Web visits; we are hoping that three more will do so by the end of the summer. Q: You say that many doctors and patients prefer this kind of consultation to a telephone call. Why is that? Dr. Good: The great thing about an online consultation is that there are no busy signals and it's done on the patient's own schedule. There is also no phone tag. We've been up and running for about eight months and so far, about 800 patients in our five-doctor practice have been using it. I think that by next year about 23,000 will be using the online office. That's a big chunk of our patients, and the feedback we've been getting has been very enthusiastic. Q: Do doctors have to worry about malpractice suits with online consultations? Dr. Good: Compared to phone calls, you have a very clear record of what is being discussed and prescribed. With the phone - unless someone is taping the call - there is no record. No, it's not a big concern. Q: What are some examples of when it's good to get an online consultation? Dr. Good: Prescription refills, test results, appointments and referrals. Online consultations should be for the kind of things that you almost wonder if it is worth taking time off from work to go to the doctor’s office. I have college students who have done follow-up visits online when they are out of state at school, which saves their parents some big travel bills. Q: What are some examples of when it's not good to consult your doctor via email. Dr. Good: Chest pain, shortness of breath and abdominal pain. It should not be used for anything that could be dangerous. Anything that needs immediate attention or requires careful evaluation to rule out something dangerous should not be handled online. We have warnings all over the site telling patients that the system should be used for routine, non-urgent questions and problems. Q: Does the patient have to worry about privacy with these services? Dr. Good: Email is not at all private or secure, but we've set up the office in an encrypted server so that no one but you and the doctor can look at your records. With paper records, there is more of a chance for people to inadvertantly see your records. With electronic records, you need a password.

Visit you Physician Online and Let ur Insurance provider Pay

(CBS) A visit to the doctor could involve merely turning on your computer. Some major insurance companies are beginning to cover the costs of such virtual office visits. On The Early Show Tuesday, medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips of CBS station WCBS-TV in New York told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez the ideal patient for such a setup is one who has an ongoing relationship with a physician: The doctor knows the patient's medical history and has a sense from that history of where the patient's non-emergency complaint, or other concern, may be coming from. It's somewhat akin to phone calls patients now make to their doctors, with the added potential benefit of software designed to focus the patient's mind on what's really wrong. "This is really for follow-up. It's designed to replace the phone call, not the office visit," Phillips said. Certain medical conditions lend themselves better than others to this kind of approach, Phillips says. For instance -- chronic conditions such as high blood pressure. If the doctor is confident that the patient knows how to take blood pressure at home, he or she can do so, report the results to the doctor, and save themselves a trip to the office. Another valuable use can be following up after a patient has started a medication. From the patient's description, the doctor can get a sense both of the effectiveness and the possible side effects. The main potential benefit for the doctor, she says, is convenience. Phone calls from patients can take a lot of time out of a doctor's day at very inconvenient moments -- not to mention the phone tag involved in reaching each other. Having the patient's description of symptoms arrive online can make life a lot easier. "It's not to replace the physical," Phillips stressed. "It's just to cut out some of those annoying phone calls." Also, there's a fee attached. Doctors have been collecting $25 to $35 per online session. If insurance covers it, a patient might have a $5 co-pay. Phillips says there are possible drawbacks. As a practicing physician, she says, she wonders whether certain diagnoses should really be handled online: You just can't characterize the severity of a patient's symptoms without seeing him or her or even hearing their voice. Take blood in the urine, for example. It could be a simple infection, or bladder cancer. There's nothing that can replace human interaction, and the laying on of hands. And even doctors who use this system are encouraged to tell patients to come in when there's any doubt. "This is not the place where a patient should be diagnosed," Phillips emphasized. "The practice of medicine is a human one. We don't just look at symptoms. We look at the whole patient. You cannot replace sitting down, face-to-face with a patient, really learning about them as a whole person. ... The physical is absolutely essential. "The Internet has its place ... but there's nothing that can replace a true office visit," she added. The availability of virtual visits, Phillips notes, depends on doctors setting up their offices so they can use the interactive software. And nationwide, there aren't that many who've done it. For example, fewer than two percent of doctors affiliated with Cigna Insurance are set up for it. But insurers, who are looking to save lots of money on office visits, hope that number will grow.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/05/earlyshow/health/main3790631.shtml

Private equity to drive PHARMA

Private equity (PE) firms seem to be bullish on selected opportunities in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Adopting Big Pharma strategies may take it to new heights. Arshiya Khan analyses
Corporatisation of the healthcare sector ushered in private equity (PE) investments in India. However, in the pharmaceutical sector, it was the high margins in Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS) that triggered PE investments. Even though the segment has not shown results as per expectations, it has still been attracting investments primarily because it fetches more stable returns, as the deals that happen are long term, and on contractual basis, avers Vikram Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, IndiaVenture Advisors.
The numbers game
Speaking in terms of numbers, estimates by Datamonitor Financial Deals database from January 2007 to October 2008, the Indian healthcare and pharma sector has recorded 23 PE transactions in 2008 so far (till October), an increase of 9.5 percent when compared to the total number of transactions recorded in 2007. In value terms, PE players invested $473.6 million in 2008 (till October 2008), which was an increase of 14.45 percent over the aggregate value of PE investments from India in 2007. However, after Q1 08 PE investment in value terms has declined rapidly, a trend which is likely to continue in short term.
Out of this, the healthcare sector has attracted majority PE investments followed by the pharma sector.
And the key drivers for the same include strong economic growth, huge population, raising income levels and standard of living, and commitment to increase government spending on healthcare, which has tripled now.
Speaking in terms of the pharma sector, eight transactions worth $142.1 million were recorded in 2008 (till October) against seven transactions worth $96.7 million in 2007. And the PE interest in the pharma sector was driven by the attractive compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3 percent against the global CAGR of nine percent (Nectar Life Sciences Annual report 2007-2008). Given the above growth rate the pharma segment is likely to reach $20 billion by 2015 from the current $8 billion. In addition, given the current crisis in the global economy, defensive sectors such as pharma in an emerging market would provide good investment opportunity. Dr Amit Rangenekar, Centaur Pharmaceuticals, highlights, "The meltdown will be an opportunity for PE funding, as going to the market will not give companies the desired premium, and hence, PE would be a good option."
PE investment in the pharma sector has focused on small companies which have own brands/products and/or contract manufacturing capabilities. Besides, they also favoured bulk drug and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) manufacturers as they are low risk. Also the interest in this segment has been driven by diverse business models, diversified revenue streams (own product sales and contract manufacturing), exposure to international markets (contract manufacturing for MNCs), ability to cater the increasing demand in the domestic market (CAGR of 12.3 percent), to benefit from the increased government spending (commitment to increase spending on healthcare to two-three percent against the current 0.9-1 percent), low gestation period, low risk and investment as research and development (R&D) is limited and lesser marketing expenditure (which is a significant costs element for pharma companies).
Shy no more
"The need of the hour is to have our own innovation engine. Had India built up its innovation pipeline in the last decade it would have had that competitive advantage today to leverage and position itself in the global market"
- Vikram GuptaChief Operating OfficerIndiaVenture Advisors
"The key difference in the mature markets of US and EU is that they are more focused on biotechnology and are mostly venture capital (VC) funded, whereas in India the case is otherwise, they don't focus much on biotech, but on the pharma side"
- Naveen Reddy Kalluri Project ManagerFinancial DealsDatamonitor India
"In the current bull run, the attention of most PE players has been on exponential growth sectors such as capital goods, construction, telecom etc, so they kept away from pharma, however, this would change as markets become more favourably disposed to sectors such as consumer and pharma"
- Navroz Mahudawala Associate DirectorHealthsciences PracticeErnst & Young
Of late PE players have kept away from Indian pharma companies due to various reasons. Firstly, results in the drug discovery space are yet to be proven by some companies and until those results are out, probably, the investments till then will come in bits and pieces. PE players, being quite selective and choosy about investing in a company due to high risks involved in the R&D model, will pick up success areas. PE firms typically work on minimising the risks and maximising returns. The high risk in the R&D model and perhaps the limited choice kept PE players away from pharma. Now they have different strategies before deciding upon investments in pharma. "They either do it by working on a pro drug, viz a similar drug that has already been tested and marketed. Secondly, they may outsource molecules to a partner in India, thereby minimising the risks. This has already been done by companies like Pfizer, Merck, Lilly, GSK etc," informs Gupta.
But the current financial crisis seems to be an opportunity for PE players. Speaking on the current scenario, Nitin Deshmukh, Head-Private Equity, Kotak Mahindra, adds, "Pharma in the healthcare space is totally down and out. It has become a commodity all over the world. Observing the performance of pharma companies, except for the last few months wherein it seems to be slightly above average vis a vis the other sectors, as pharma on the stock market has been the core performing sectors."
Secondly, as drug discovery is yet to be proven, the valuations have to be materialised in the true sense, once certain progress happens in the drug discovery space, PE would automatically scale up, he feels.
However, Navroz Mahudawala, Associate Director, Healthsciences Practice, Ernst & Young, cites another reason, "In the current bull run, the attention of most PE players has been on exponential growth sectors such as capital goods, construction, telecom etc, so they kept away from pharma. However, this would change as markets become more favourably disposed to sectors such as consumer and pharma." Also, a portion of the business plans of Indian pharma (i.e. regulated market generics) was perceived as risky. But, majority of PE investments have been either in domestic business plans or CRAMS, he highlights. Going forward, this will change, avers Rajeev Raju, Vice President and Sales Leader, Corporate Finance, Healthcare Financial Services, GE Healthcare, "Pharma companies have significantly de-risked their business models by segregating R&D from core manufacturing. Also, with more order flows into India across products and across various business segments in both large/mid-cap companies, risks are better spread with managements, understanding the need to be better governed in their business operations."
However, Rangenekar offers a different view. He states, "Only those PE players that were not focused on pharma were shying away. There were a few who were bullish on pharma who have stayed back." And this is evident from the recent deals in the pharma space—Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI), a PE firm, and Everest Capital, a hedge fund, have invested $23.6 million in Nectar Lifesciences; Kotak Private Equity Group, a PE arm of Kotak Mahindra Bank, agreed to invest $10 million in Intas Biopharmaceuticals. Century Pharmaceuticals secured $12.7 million from Gujarat Biotech Venture Fund managed by Gujarat Venture Finance; and SME Growth Fund, a fund managed by SIDBI Venture Capital, has invested $7 million in Centaur Group, a pharmaceutical and speciality chemicals company to name a few.
Indian business models vs US and EU
Fundamentally, the market structure in India is completely different from that of US and Europe. In US and EU, most companies are mature and publicly listed, so PE investments are mostly in the private sector. However, this is not the case in India. Hence, if Indian companies build competencies in different sectors and increase their focus more on things which they are good at, for example, API manufacturing, contract manufacturing, etc, the scene may change. Speaking on the key differentiation in the Indian market Naveen Reddy Kalluri, Project Manager-Financial Deals, Datamonitor India, highlights, "The key difference in the mature markets of US and EU is that they are more focused on biotechnology and are mostly venture capital (VC) funded, whereas in India the case is otherwise, they don't focus much on biotech, but on the pharma side." Besides, there is limited or negligible VC investment witnessed in this sector unlike in the US wherein early stage funding has prospered. Low buyout activity witnessed in India and limited number of Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) deals in larger companies are some other differences in the pharma PE scenario in India when compared with the US or EU. Raju cites another reason. "The US and EU are highly regulated markets, whereas India is still evolving slowly across business segments and operational dynamics. PE deals in pharma tend to be largely passive than strategic in the developed markets. It is only in emerging markets like India where PE players look for a more active role in the pharma/life sciences space by seemingly adding value to the business in terms of market/product expansion and/or enabling growth ideas."
With changing dynamics and fluctuations in the market, PE investment in pharma companies will primarily be driven by the changing business models of Indian pharma companies. And this is evident from the fact that pharma companies in India are reducing the risk in their businesses by hiving off business units, unless they have sufficient resources/capabilities to manage them (Eg Piramal and Sun Pharmaceuticals hived off R&D divisions); diversifying revenues streams; and optimising manufacturing capacity by entering into contract manufacturing deals. In addition, the fact that a significant number of drugs are to go off-patent in the next five years it will offer a sizeable market for the players involved.
Therefore, the need of the hour is to have our own innovation engine. Had India built up its innovation pipeline in the last decade it would have had that competitive advantage today to be able to leverage and position itself in the global market, remarks Gupta. It is only now that companies like Sun Pharma (SPAARC) and the Piramal Group have hived of their R&D business, and the primary reason for doing that was the risk return profile of an investor. They have understood the difference between an R&D kind of investor and an investor in pharma and healthcare or a custom manufacturing space where certainty of success is more as compared to the former, and now they feel that the model of de-merging R&D will attract investors.
On the other hand, in PE models that exist in US and EU, in companies like Pfizer, Merck, Lilly, GSK etc, growth has been through their research engine and their model has been that of targeting a blockbuster drug. Even if these companies have X number of drugs in their pipeline and one of them scales up the ladder, then it will be a billion dollar drug and that is how these companies have made money. Also, as there are quite a few molecules in the pipeline of these big pharma companies that typically need investments to take them forward, due to limited resources they prefer PE funding or joining hands with other pharma companies and take up out-licensing and in-licensing arrangements, which has been a success model in the global markets, explains Gupta.
This is now being witnessed in India. Companies like Sun, the Piramal Group and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals have also tied up with global companies to work collaboratively on molecules, where they will be working on these molecules in their own R&D engines, thus sharing the risks and rewards. Also, a third partner in this model could be a PE investor, who provides funding to set up a different subsidiary or a different entity. But this largely depends on the confidence of the investor in a company, a particular molecule or the therapeutic area. This is what PE firms have been doing globally. However, according to Gupta, in India the concept is relatively new and not many companies understand the same in terms of how to structure such deals.
Secondly, there are not many molecules in the pipeline from Indian pharma companies. Its just a few companies like Glenmark which have about 35 molecules in the pipeline, Piramal with 13 molecules etc. But as these molecules enter into the pre-clinical phase there will be many PE firms who will want to pick and choose and structure deals around that, in the next three four years, he adds. But Deshmukh contradicts this business model. He avers, "If you look at the market caps of companies who have hived off their business, they are performing ridiculously low. So why would anybody want to invest in these companies. People still do not believe in the drug discovery model." According to him, business models that will work out are—one is pure business pharma formulations (domestic and international) in which India has proven itself. The moment they went into generics, the margins reduced and they became unattractive. He elaborates with the help of an example—Sun Pharma has a very attractive business model; focused significantly on formulations, and has attracted one of the best market caps in the industry. Glenmark, which is focused on formulations with a separate drug discovery model, has shown progress, and therefore is attracting significant valuations in spite of the size of the company.
Besides business model, technology plays an important role in motivating PE players to invest in pharma companies, which acts as a differentiator. Adding to it, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pproved facilities may also attract PE, because there may be quite a few companies performing well in the less regulated markets and are looking for funding and seeking an opportunity to explore the US markets, thereby minimising the risks. Funding US FDA approved plants will help these players market their products in the US and EU.
Besides this, business models which have a low spend on R&D, marketing etc will work, thereby, making the CRAMS segment more visible in particular. There is a global shift which has happened of late in PE investments; they are not looking at investing in hard core R&D and there will be long periods which will burn more cash without returns, highlights Kalluri.
Strategies of Indian companies
Most owners/promoters of pharma companies now recognise the critical attributes required for attracting PE ie. professional management, good accounting practices and high standards of corporate governance. As pharma companies in India have excellent management, an attribute which most funds value and appreciate, they may be able to attract PE.
However, witnessing the current market turmoil, PE transactions have slowed down because of the uncertainty and valuation issues resulting in a delay in the promoters’ plans. Piramal Lifesciences is a case in point. However as the market conditions improve there will be domestic and international players looking for various possible transactions. The only challenge in India is the limited choice so people who understand the domain and know how to structure and exit the deal will exist. "The irony being in US, they understand the concept of structuring deals but are facing turmoil in their own country, so they may not have the liquidity to bring to this country,” highlights Kalluri.
Looking at the impact of the slowdown, pharma will not be affected largely as it is not a cyclical industry, it is completely recession proof. And therefore, the industry will continue to do well, feels Deshmukh.
Witnessing the nature of stocks, pharma stocks are hardly affected over all other industries today. So pharma and healthcare will continue to attract investments. It's a large domestic play in India and people will continue to spend money, rather, have to spend money, therefore, it will continue to do well, he adds.
Rising above all challenges and hurdles, Indian pharma segment according to various estimates and projections is likely to fetch PE funding worth $500 million. And analysts believe this is reasonable, given the marked potential for Indian businesses to tap more export markets, grow domestic market and diversify into other allied operations like distribution, etc. Besides, as pharma remains insulated from the market turmoil it will enable PE investments in a very challenging environment. Avers Gupta, "It is akin to pharma companies trying to justify to their shareholders the need to expand aggressively in this scenario. A temporary dip is expected just as with several other sectors of the economy. However, we are witnessing far more funds interested in the sector than a year back." He says that in the long run, Indian pharma would only benefit from cost rationalisation exercises in the Western world.
Going ahead
"I think it will move into drug discovery, and it will have to move at some point of time. What has happened in US and EU will eventually happen in India," believes Deshmukh. And this holds true considering the fact that there is limited choice because unless Indian pharma companies innovate, they have a very poor future. So there is no option but to invest and innovate in drug discovery, and eventually, as one or two companies show results, significant investments will start pouring into drug discovery in India.
Focus will be on companies offering APIs and CRAMS. And preference will be given to companies with home products. Going ahead, it will become more and more specialised, because of the diverse nature of the industry. There will also be division based on therapeutic areas like diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) etc. As companies now consider R&D in pharma as one business, they have also figured out that there are two diverse set of investors. And this gives them a reason to de-merge their business and make them two entities. This points to the fact that gradually Indian pharma companies will follow the global trends ie US and EU.
So, three to five years down the line there will be a lot of standardisation, integration and consolidation that will drive this sector.
arshiya.khan@expressindia.com

Carestream Health And NDMA Announce Collaboration For Provision Of eHealth And Analytics Services

Carestream Health, Inc., and National Digital Medical Archive, Inc., (NDMA), are collaborating on product integration initiatives designed to support the expansion of NDMA’s national imaging network and improve customer access to its analytics and data management services.
The companies plan to integrate each other's technologies to create new services that will enable healthcare facilities to better manage, process and evaluate digital medical images and accompanying data. The goal of this collaboration is to provide solutions that can help hospitals and freestanding medical imaging facilities maximise revenue and profitability, enhance equipment and resource utilisation, and improve patient care and outcomes.
NDMA selected Carestream Health to support its digital medical imaging services offerings because of its depth of experience in infrastructure management. As NDMA continues to expand its services throughout the U.S., Carestream Health will support and complement its digital services offerings.
"Our eHealth Managed Services coupled with NDMA's architecture and post-processing analytics will provide a new approach to comprehensive digital medical imaging and healthcare IT solutions," said Bernard Algayres, General Manager of eHealth Managed Services, Carestream Health. "This collaboration will leverage some of the most innovative technologies available to enable healthcare providers to access critical information as it is needed. We are committed to interoperability in this joint initiative, and we are pleased to be working with NDMA to develop new solutions that will help customers improve their operations, as well as the quality of their imaging procedures."
Carestream Health offers a broad portfolio of computer radiography and digital radiography systems to meet the medical imaging needs of hospitals, trauma units, orthopaedic and speciality clinics, outpatient imaging centres and other healthcare facilities.
"Digital medical imaging facilities around the world face increasing pressure to maintain profitability while delivering optimal patient care. Additionally, health plans continue to struggle with ways to control utilisation and lower costs," said Derek Danois, Chief Executive Officer, NDMA. "This collaboration between Carestream Health and NDMA creates opportunities to better connect medical professionals in the radiology environment with the goal of maximising clinical operations and financial performance, while improving the overall quality of each imaging procedure."
About Carestream Health, Inc.Carestream Health, Inc., is a leading provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. The company was formed in 2007 when Onex Corporation (TSX: OCX.TO) purchased Eastman Kodak Company's Health Group. For more information about Carestream Health, contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestreamhealth.com.
About National Digital Medical Archive, Inc.National Digital Medical Archive, Inc., headquartered in Berwyn, PA, is a leading provider of clinical analytics and business intelligence services related to digital medical imaging designed to streamline the delivery and sharing of healthcare data among healthcare payers, providers and patients for more evidence based decision-making. NDMA services help digital imaging facilities and radiology departments maximize their clinical operations, ensure patient safety, and improve financial performance. For more information, please visit www.ndma.us.

Philips further expands Healthcare business in emerging markets by acquiring India-based Meditronics

Friday, 21 November 2008
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire India-based Meditronics, a leading manufacturer of General X-Ray systems targeting the economy segment in India. Upon closing of this transaction in the fourth quarter of 2008, which is subject to certain contractual and other conditions such as regulatory approvals, Meditronics will become part of the Imaging Systems business within Philips' Healthcare sector. Financial details of this agreement were not disclosed.
Today's announcement marks Philips' growing presence in high-growth healthcare markets in emerging economies, and follows the earlier acquisitions of healthcare companies Alpha X-Ray Technologies in India, Chinese Shenzhen Goldway Industrial and Dixtal Biomédica e Tecnologia and VMI Sistemas Medicos in Brazil. In commenting on the deal, Philips Chief Executive Officer Gerard Kleisterlee said: "The acquisition of Meditronics, just two months after we announced the acquisition of Alpha, highlights our accelerating efforts to expand our healthcare business in emerging markets and India in particular. This underlines our conscious decision to step up investments in these high-growth areas while also delivering on our commitment to supply affordable healthcare solutions in emerging markets."
Meditronics' high-quality proven economy segment product portfolio complements Philips' existing high-end General X-Ray range and further strengthens Philips' leading position in India's high-growth imaging and monitoring equipment market. Analysts estimate that the General X-Ray segment of the Indian market will show annual growth rates of 10% or higher. Philips will invest to expand sales in the local Indian market and will leverage its global distribution network to expand its offering of economy X-ray products in other emerging and, importantly, mature markets.
Today's announcement is Philips' second acquisition within the last three months of a healthcare equipment maker in India specialized in supplying products for the economy segment - one of the fastest growing market segments in the global healthcare equipment market. Philips announced in early September the acquisition of Alpha, a leading manufacturer of Cardiovascular X-Ray systems. Analysts estimate the economy segment of the global Cardiovascular X-Ray market shows annual growth rates of 10% to 15%.
"Executing on our strategic decision to scale up our presence in emerging markets has been an important element of Philips' transformation into a focused, less-cyclical company in recent years," said Mr. Kleisterlee. "We are committed to continue this course of action by increasingly redirecting resources to help fuel growth in emerging markets, and build out our industrial footprint in this cost-effective and high-quality manufacturing environment - for Healthcare, but also for our Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting sectors."
Under the stewardship of Mr. Kleisterlee, Philips has transformed in recent years into a much simpler and more focused company dedicated to leveraging its deep consumer insight, technological prowess and innovative strength to deliver uniquely differentiating propositions to businesses and consumers. Philips' focus on becoming the leading brand in Health and Well-being is perfectly aligned with important demographic and economic trends, while also tapping into the people’s increasing demand for advanced but easy-to-use products and solutions that improve the quality of their lives.
About Royal Philips ElectronicsRoyal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 128,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About MeditronicsMeditronics is a leading General X-Ray manufacturer in India with a strong focus on surgery (mobile C-arms) and radiography (RAD). Headquartered in Mumbai, Meditronics employs around 150 employees working in research and development, sales and marketing, and in four industrial sites in India. Meditronics, founded in 1979 by two X-Ray service engineers, is one of the pioneers of the Indian medical technology industry. More information can be found at www.meditronics.co.in.

Ehealthcare Solutions by Siemens

Siemens is presenting three of its E-Health solutions. Integrated Care Monitoring comprises the infrastructure and platform for the exchange of information between physicians/hospitals and the cost bearers such as the health insurance company. This leads to more transparency in integrated care contracts with respect to treatments, patients and budgets. In this regard, Siemens demonstrates live at the fair the connection of practice administration systems off-line, on-line connection with electronic health card and on-line connection with biometrics, all in compliance with data protection regulations. The e-Medication solution prevents unnecessary medicines from being prescribed at the pharmacy and avoids their interaction. When medicines are prescribed twice or undesirable interactions occur, the system issues an alarm and the pharmacist can change the medication in time. The E-Health portal serves as a central platform for health processes.

APOLLO HEALTHHIWAY EYES $2-M PE FUND

Combining domain expertise along with IBM's IT capabilities, the Bangalore-based HealthHiway is awaiting PE infusion of $ 2 million in two months..........
Combining domain expertise along with IBM's IT capabilities, the Bangalore-based HealthHiway is awaiting PE infusion of $ 2 million in two months. The less-than-year-old HealthHiway is a Apollo Hospitals initiative aimed at making a difference in patient-care delivery. Apollo Hospitals ED operations Sangita Reddy said the group has incubated Health Hiway only about a year ago. It has a capital base of Rs 5 crore. Partnering with TCS and IBM for technology and back-end functions, the company is piloting the IT integration with 40 hospitals (mostly from south) to process their back-end claims.

Source : The Economic Times