Skip to main content

Posts

Penicillin to Peril

As our arsenal of antibiotics faces the relentless evolution of resistant microbes, the urgency to fortify our defenses intensifies.  In this narrative, we unravel the intricate tapestry of AMR and technological ingenuity flourishing to safeguard the foundations of modern medicine.  What is Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? AMR is a natural process that occurs when microbes (bacteria, viruses, etc) evolve mechanisms that protect them from the effects of antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals, etc). Widespread antibiotic resistance is a significant component of AMR. Rise of AMR In 1928, the lucky accident of Penicillin discovery in Alexander Fleming's London laboratory changed the course of medicine. Ten years after its discovery - in 1939, extensive research began on Penicillin. It led to the establishment of “The Penicillin Project” - a collaboration that brought 15 pharmaceutical companies in the USA and the UK together to produce Penicillin. The first trials of Penicillin were c
Recent posts

JanSehat - Improving Healthcare access for rural India

Around two months ago I got to be a part of a very exciting project aiming to build a first-of-its-kind healthcare network in rural India. Rural areas often face significant disparities in healthcare access and resources. The unique challenges faced in rural healthcare settings require innovative approaches and solutions.  The need to find creative solutions makes rural healthcare an exciting space to work in. Subsequently - once the patient gets his prescription - finding apt facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment is an onerous task. The nearest hospital does not provide all basic diagnostic tests. Patients have to use expensive private diagnostics services which take as long as 3 days to provide lab reports. The idea behind launching – “Project JanSehat” was to build a holistic healthcare model for rural India.  The program is a collaboration between - Spotsense x StepOne x PlusTrust. It is being piloted in the villages of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The pilot aims to be a

Can Companies like Spotsense act as Test Aggregators ?

 In recent years, production and imports of rapid card tests (RCT) have increased tremendously. Rapid card tests have revolutionized medical diagnostics. Their demand is surging further – fuelled by the innovation of – card test reader machines (CTRM) – which read and provide quantitative information from the card - after the tests. Can companies making card test reader machines (CTRM) (like Spotsense) act as aggregators for the large variety of RCTs available today? To answer this question, we must first understand the card tests available in the market today. Rapid card test OEMs (indigenous or foreign) provide a range of tests with different sensitivity, specificity, complexity, and customizations depending on the target disease and application. Some rapid card tests are designed for professional use in clinics and hospitals, while others are intended for point-of-care or home use. For example, Indian OEMs have played a crucial role in providing cost-effective and quality diagnostic