Philips Innovation Centre (PIC) has now spurred the digital health space with its mobile obstetrical monitoring (MOM) and Mobility Sanjeevini solutions to stall maternal and foetal fatalities in India and other developing countries. Both these Android based technologies only need a smart phone to access expert medical consultation in resource-constrained healthcare settings.

MOM was earlier piloted in Indonesia successfully and currently we are in discussion to deploy the same in India. Sanjeevini is working very well in the Udupi district. The quality of the algorithms and the ease of deployment are viewed as the key differentiates of these technologies, M R Srinivas Prasad, CEO, Philips Innovation Campus told Pharmabiz in an email.

It is estimated that in India annually over 5,00,000 women succumb to pregnancy related issues and childbirth. Around 4 million newborns die within 28 days of birth. Identifying lack of access to health services, skilled doctors or midwives as a key contributing factor to such health hazards, PIC developed the mobile obstetrical monitoring, an application deployed on a pilot basis to remotely monitor pregnant women for early high risk identification via a new tele-health solution.

With approximately 96 per cent of the world’s population having access to mobile phones, the company developed a prototype scalable tele-health platform which can be adapted to suit specific rural and urban needs, using a mobile phone. Midwives or ASHA workers can create a relevant health profile of pregnant women by collecting data from physical examinations and tests at local nursing clinics or even at the soon-to-be-mother’s home. Through its  integration,  the company aims to support obstetricians/ gynecologists to determine if a pregnancy is high- risk, in which case immediate and adequate help can be provided.

Mobility Sanjeevini eliminates paper based system. It helps Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) to capture data for each family. The system is user-friendly and data can be transmitted via internet/GPRS or SMS or USB. This solution enables field ANMs to enter data using an Android smart phone. The application has provisions to enter data for each family in separate folders. The company views that the technology is faster, convenient and increases operational efficiency.

“Over 65 per cent in India live in rural areas. On an average, a person in rural India commutes 4 to 5 km to access healthcare. In the case of a mother-to-be such travel becomes even more critical, expensive and cumbersome. Now the objective of Sanjivini and MOM is to extend healthcare to those in semi urban and rural India. The products enable the large base of ANM workers to connect pregnant women to a primary health centre or a community health centres in real time, so that high risk cases can be immediately addressed,” said the PIC CEO.