Chandrashekhar Sibal, EVP & Head Medical Division, Fujifilm India in an interaction with Express Radiology, talks about the solutions offered by Fujifilm which will ensure that challenges in the public health sector and population health management are addressed efficiently
Can you throw some light on your recent collaboration with Max Healthcare? What is the major objective behind this partnership?
Breast cancer is still the most common cancer among women globally and in India as well. According to the Health Ministry of India breast cancer ranks as the number one cancer among Indian females with a rate as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and mortality of 12.7 per 100,000 women. Majority of breast cancer cases in India are detected in young, premenopausal women. It is prevalent in females who are in their early 30s owing to sedentary lifestyles, genetics, dietary changes and family history of cancer.
Witnessing the scarcity of radiologists and limited experts in breast cancer diagnostics across India, Fujifilm India and Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket have come together with an aim to train doctors in Advance Diagnostics and spread awareness about early detection of breast cancer.
As part of the association, Fujifilm will be sponsoring an Advanced Fellowship in Breast Imaging with Max Healthcare Hospital under the guidance of Dr Bharat Aggarwal, Director – Radiology Services, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket and Dr Harit Chaturvedi, Chairman, Max Institute of Cancer Care.
Under this, Max Fujifilm fellowship Doctors would be trained in breast mammography, breast MR, and breast ultrasound techniques for six months. Each year, the programme will train two select radiologists in the early detection of breast cancer.
This is the first such collaboration of Fujifilm. Can you elaborate on the company’s future expansion and collaboration plans on this platform? (Production facilities in healthcare sector they will set up in India including R&D and training centres)
With over 80 years of experience, Fujifilm has been a pioneer in imaging technology and has constantly displayed an innovative line-up of products and solutions. We at Fujifilm believe in collaborative innovation in order to provide solutions for the issues that affect society.
This year, we announced partnerships with Indian Academy of CT- Guided Intervention (IACTI) and Breast Imaging Society of India (BISI) wherein we organised an awareness program on ‘Breast & Gynaecology Imaging; we installed Fujifilm’s SYNAPSE technology at Peerless Hospital, Kolkata; organised an awareness programme on ‘TOGETHER END TB’ with Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad to help eradicate tuberculosis in India; we also offered free chest X-Rays at Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and with Max Healthcare we associated for providing advanced screening of stage ‘Zero’ breast cancers & are currently running a fellowship-training programme for doctors and radiologists at Max hospital on usage of ‘Fujifilm 50 Micron Digital Mammography Machine.
Living up to our motto of Value from Innovation, we are committed to providing products and services that not only enhance image quality and workflow but also keep the patients well-being in mind by introducing the latest innovative technologies and solutions.
We have developed Computed Radiology and Digital Radiology products which facilitate digitisation of X-ray, coupled with PACS and RIS to provide faster access to images to consultants sitting in metro cities or big hospitals. With more than 30,000 thousand systems installed in India, Fujifilm’s focus is on AI and IT.
Through public-private partnerships in India, Fujifilm has installed 100-200 systems across states, in collaboration with the government. We have acquired 94 per cent institutional sales in the public health sector and are looking at expansion in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha.
We’re bringing many solutions, which will ensure that challenges in the public health sector and population health management are addressed efficiently. Hence, it requires a lot of effort in terms of research to get there.
What are your investment plans in the coming years for the Indian market?
During FY2018-19, we recorded a turnover of Rs 1150 crore out of which Medical Systems was the major contributor followed by Photo Imaging, Electronic Imaging, Graphic Arts, Recording Media and Industrial Products respectively. In 1983, Fujifilm started the first digital radiograph and since then it has grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to image processing, virtual grid technologies and other technologies that have come to the fore with different dynamic ranges.
We have recently won the ‘Indian Digital Radiography Company of the Year’ award at the Frost & Sullivan 2019 India Best Practices ceremony. This award certainly reaffirms our vision and strengthens our position in the digital radiology space. It resonates with our commitment to provide best-in-class healthcare technologies and diagnostic needs.
With the domestic digital radiography industry touching Rs 162 crore annually, Fujifilm currently shares 30 per cent of the total. We are trying to increase our share in the digital radiography segment from the present 30 per cent and have a target of touching the 40 per cent mark this year. Our aim is to generate more than double revenues by 2020, citing the huge demand for our digital medical devices.
What are the major challenges that the Indian diagnostic market is facing? (Major gaps and need of the hour?)
The overall healthcare industry is undergoing a paradigm shift, evolving from a human-driven to a technology-enabled sector. With this digital transformation, it is bringing a change in the way doctors and patients are interacting.
The major challenge faced by the industry is the scarcity of radiologists and limited experts. While there is enough capital available for the right idea, limited experts in the field is the prime constraint.
We have taken this challenge by introducing technological advancements that help doctors to manage workflow systems and allow them to treat patients efficiently.
With the increasing incidence of breast cancer diseases in female population, it is imperative for healthcare providers to step up and provide women the best and precise early detection screening facilities that can help save lives. To fight this battle against cancer, it is important to spread awareness and encourage people to undergo regular health check-ups. Understanding the importance of timely screening for prevention is critical towards early diagnosis and treatment, staying true to create awareness for the cause, Fujifilm has been making concerted efforts to contribute to the early detection and treatment of breast cancer through their associating with the Pink Ribbon Campaign. The company’s revolutionary techniques and wealth of experience have enabled them to come up with high precision and high-resolution mammography devices. Modern day digital mammography machines with tomosynthesis technology that is available in Fujifilm’s 50 Micron digital Mammography – Amulet Innovality is a key device, which helps in detecting the early symptoms of cancer.
Fujifilm’s holistic and comprehensive approach in improving women healthcare with digital mammography has driven more than 3,500 happy users across the world, amongst them 40 installations are present in India. The company has collaborated with different institutes all over India for the installation of its 50 Micron 3D Mammography machine – a highly advanced breast cancer diagnostic machine that has made early detection of breast cancer a reality for women.
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