The Technology to Unlock the Future of Villages
Monday, December 13, 2010
In 20 years of working as a physician in Karnataka’s Hassan district, Kumaraswamy N E often found himself irked by the blurred readings on the electrocardiography (ECG) machine. Often enough, it just broke down, which meant that the high cost of measuring heart activity had to be passed on to the patients. Last year, Kumaraswamy stumbled upon GE Healthcare’s Mac i ECG unit. It was conceptualized and developed in India, has remote connectivity and provides clear readings. Kumaraswamy says it’s been a boon – he now charges just Rs 100 per test. Presumably, his patients are happy.
The ECG unit is a good example of Indian technology companies’ changed attitudes to healthcare and education. They’re taking their cue from C K Prahalad’s book, “Bottom of the Pyramid” which talks of developing affordable products locally to meet the needs of the rural poor.
