Australian university to provide Medical Technology to India

Melbourne: Australian state of Victoria announced two agreements with India in the area of medical technology to address major health challenges in India.

During the government-led Neuroscience Victoria trade mission to India this week, Swinburne University signed two memorandums of understanding to partner with major Indian healthcare providers.

Neuroscience leaders from Swinburne signed one agreement with Medanta, one of India's largest private hospitals, on a project to improve the diagnosis of epilepsy across India.

The project will develop products and technologies that can be used to help diagnose epilepsy in villages and remote communities across the sprawling nation, using technology to help local health workers make early diagnosis and refer patients quickly for treatment in urban centres.

Swinburne university also signed a memorandum of understanding with the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences to develop a cutting edge 'smart helmet' to reduce the incidence of head injuries for motorcyclists.

Two thirds of road vehicles in India are two-wheelers and tens of thousands of people die on India's roads every year with many more suffering injury and trauma.

The 'smart helmet' is designed to be light-weight and incorporate technology to address the issues that currently discourage people from wearing helmets.

These breakthrough agreements demonstrate the world-leading expertise being generated from Victoria's renowned medical research institutes with technological advances that are adding real public value across the world.

"The Labor Government is providing ongoing support to the Medical Technology and pharmaceuticals sector as one of six key growth industries to drive jobs in Victoria - the sector currently generates revenues of more than USD 12 billion a year including USD 1.98 billion in exports," according to minister for small business, innovation and trade Philip Dalidakis.