GE Healthcare has now introduced two advanced, cardiac care solutions designed and developed in India for India. Both GE MAC 600 and GE VIVID P3 would help provide better, affordable early cardiac diagnosis for more people.


“Through the use of powerful technology, innovation and talent, we are addressing global healthcare needs. It helps reduce costs, increase access and improving quality. Our 29 healthymagination validated products, developed with a $ 700 million in research and development investment, have 135 million lives touched in new ways in the first two years, stated John Dineen, president & CEO, GE Healthcare.


“In India, healthymagination also means using local knowledge and expertise to develop the best medical technologies in the world. Some of these are local technologies and solutions which will exclusively serve the Indian market; but other inventions will be exported to doctors and health systems around the world. These are the Advanced GE MAC 600 digital, eco-friendly ECG system – reduces cost by 80% and the GE VIVID P3 which is the first cardiac ultrasound system that reduces cost by 50%.


Heart diseases have emerged as the number one killer in both urban and rural India. About 25% fatality occurs in the 25-69 age-group and 19% in all age groups because of heart diseases. Cardiovascular disease in India has quadrupled in the last 40 years and WHO estimates that by 2020, close to 60 percent of cardiac patients worldwide will be from India with probability of heart attack six years earlier than people anywhere else. Rising healthcare cost is estimated to be between 12 – 14% annually.


The new GE MAC 600 is a lightweight, portable, easy-to-use digital resting ECG device. It is designed to save time, energy and paper. The equipment is available at Rs.60000-75000 which is 80% lower than a US FDA approved system.


GE VIVID P3 is a dedicated cardiac imaging ultrasound system improving diagnostic confidence with live Anatomical M-Mode, Tissue Doppler Imaging, Automatic Tissue, and Spectrum Optimization. It is priced at 50% lower cost, at Rs.11-12 lakh as compared to US FDA cleared, imported similar quality products priced above Rs.20 lakh.


According to Omar Ishrak, president and chief executive officer, GE Healthcare Systems, the company’s 'In India, for India strategy’ was unveiled in 2007 and rolled out 11solutions. It has partnered with Indian healthcare experts to develop in-person training courses on ECG and ultrasound. However, mass-scale training is the need of the day in order to arm the 7 lakh allopath doctors to prevent and treat cardiac disease.


“We are taking a big step to equip every primary physician in the country in the war against cardiac disease. We plan to roll out a free, mass-scale online ECG training for primary care physicians across tier II and III towns,” stated V Raja - president & CEO, GE Healthcare, India.