Visakhapatnam, Dec 14 (KNN) Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health, Jitendra Sharma, said the Centre has decided to extend technical support to the States for establishing medical equipment manufacturing parks.

The announcement comes a month after state chief minister N Chandrabau Naidu expressed keenness to set up an exclusive park for manufacturing medical devices in his state with a separate cluster for SMEs.

Sharma, visited the city on Saturday and held talks with State Health and Family Welfare Commissioner K.V. Satyanarayana on availability of land and growth potential in the city.

Sharma said that under the ‘Make in India’ programme, the Centre has decided to extend technical support to the States for establishing medical equipment manufacturing parks.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, during his visit to New Delhi last month, met representatives of Association of Indian Medical Devices Manufacturing Association and informed them that the State was keen to set up an exclusive park for manufacturing medical devices with a separate cluster for SMEs.

Presently, the medical devices industry is estimated at around Rs.60,000 crore with imports accounting for Rs.23,000 crore. (KNN Bureau)