Pluss Advanced Technologies, a venture funded company by Tata Capital Innovations Fund, has received Rs. 50 lakh grant under the Millennium Alliance Programme by FICCI. The award was presented by Hon’ble Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union minister for science & technology, earth sciences, environment, forests and climate change, Govt. of India.

The grant will be utilised in building capacity amongst Indian hospitals and neonatal care units to tackle neonatal deaths in India using MiraCradle- an Indian Invention to treat newborn babies born with birth asphyxia. MiraCradle, a neonate cooler (a patent pending), is a CE certified device which is available in over 130 private hospitals in India. Till date, over 5,000 new born babies have been treated using this device – giving them the right to live.

“India accounts for more than a quarter (26 per cent) of the world’s neo-natal deaths. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar contribute to more than half of newborn deaths in India. We have chosen Rajasthan as the state to create capacity to tackle birth asphyxia”, said Samit Jain, managing director, Pluss Advanced Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

“Birth Asphyxia treatment has always been a challenge in India due to imported devices which costs over Rs. 15 Lakhs. MiraCradle is the world’s first such affordable device for treatment of birth asphyxia in neonates. We have successfully worked with partners in South Africa and the device is today a standard method of care for birth asphyxia with 4 major government hospitals in South Africa using it. We hope to make this a reality in India too.”, he further added.

MiraCradle was designed and developed in partnership with Christian Medical College, Vellore which undertook all clinical trials required for product approvals.

“We aim to address the sustainable development goals set by United Nations with regard to neonatal mortality.  We are targeting low and middle income countries and the device has been recognized by the WHO in its compendium of innovative and affordable healthcare technologies. Besides South Africa, we are now working in Kenya, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey and will soon spread to other countries,”said  Ankit Jhanwar, vice president Corporate Planning, Pluss.