India’s 1st Indigenous MRI Machine to Be Installed at AIIMS by October
BISHESHWAR MISHRA
India has developed its first indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, set to be installed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, by October for trials.
The move aims to reduce treatment costs and reliance on imported medical devices, as 80-85 percent of equipment is currently imported. The indigenous MRI machine will help make India more self-reliant in medical technology.
Talking to reporters, the Director of AIIMS New Delhi, M Srinivas, said that this initiative will help various companies and institutions make necessary changes and ensure that the country has the best equipment in the world.
A senior official from AIIMS New Delhi said that the 1.5 tesla MRI machine is expected to be installed in another seven months, or by October this year.
This comes even as the Centre is pushing for indigenous innovations to reduce import dependency in medical devices.
Currently, around 80 to 85 per cent of India’s medical device requirements are met through imports.
In the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), the nation’s medical device import bill had reached ₹68,885 crore, a 13 per cent increase from ₹61,179 crore in FY23.
“The partnership aims to reduce treatment costs and reliance on imported medical devices,” an AIIMS official said.