Nephro Care India set to develop a prototype of remotely monitored AI-enabled smart heamodialysis machine

New Delhi:  In a pioneering move, Nephro Care India, in collaboration with NIT Silchar, is developing a prototype remotely monitored AI-enabled Smart Haemodialysis Machine to make renal care more “accessible and affordable” to masses.

The company has already received a grant from the Department of Science and Technology and Biotechnology, West Bengal in this regard. Once ready, it is likely to bring down the cost of these machines by nearly 70-75 per cent to Rs 2 lakh from the current Rs 7.5-8 lakh.

According to Dr Pratim Sengupta, Founder and MD & CEO, Nephro Care India, currently a majority of the haemodialysis machines in India are imported and hence the cost is significantly higher. Indigenous manufacturing of these machines can bring down cost thereby translating into lower cost of treatment for patients suffering from advanced renal failure.

Haemodialysis machine filters wastes, salts and fluids from the blood of a person whose kidneys are not healthy enough to do this work efficiently.  The prototype, which is being developed, will enable distant monitoring of these machines thereby making dialysis more accessible and affordable in the semi-urban and rural locations.

Commenting on the development, Dr Sengupta said, “We are really happy to share that we are among the first private sector player to have received the state government grant for developing the prototype of haemodialysis machine in India. At Nephro Care, it has been our constant endeavour to make renal care more affordable and accessible to masses and this is a significant step in that direction. We are hopeful of developing the prototype in the next 7-8 months post which it will be subject to various levels of testing. Once ready, we believe it can significantly bring down the cost of dialysis and make renal care accessible in the rural and semi-urban markets of the country.”

NCIL, which successful completed its initial public offering (IPO) earlier this year, recently inaugurated a 100-bedded multispecialty hospital – Vivacity Multispecialty Hospital at Madhyamgram in Kolkata at an estimated investment of Rs 36.51 crore. Founded in the year 2014 by one of the leading nephrologists in India, Dr. Pratim Sengupta, the institution provides comprehensive medical services for renal patients.

Bridging the demand-supply gap

Indigenous manufacturing of the dialysis machine will also help bridge the huge demand supply gap in the renal care industry at present. As per government estimates, nearly 220,000 patients develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) annually in India, leading to an additional annual dialysis demand of 34 million treatment sessions.

There are two major types of complementary treatments offered to ESRD patients in the country which includes Hemodialysis (HD) Treatment and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). A report by EY in collaboration with the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) in March 2023 points out that nearly 94 per cent of dialysis patients in India are on HD treatment. The total number of HD machines required to cater to 2,20,000 new ESRD patients is estimated to be close to 1,03,507. However, there are only close to 40,000 machines in the country at present therefore leading to a gap of 65,000 machines.

Lack of access to dialysis centres and machines across districts, lead to low frequency of treatment, impacting the health of patients, the report points out, Moreover, around 90 per cent of the dialysis facilities are primarily in urban parts of the country (i.e., metro cities and tier I and tier II cities). Thus, more than 60 per cent of patients on dialysis travel about 50 km to access HD treatment while nearly 25 per cent lived more than 100 kms away from the facility.

“Being AI-enabled smart machines, these can be remotely monitored thereby making it possible for healthcare specialists to keep a close tab on the health of their patients without requiring them to travel long distances thereby making renal care accessible in the remotest corners of the country,” Dr Sengupta added.